Fairytail: A Pandemonium Quest
by minitygrey
Summary: Team Natsu took a mission for a week in a mysterious Manor. As the days passed by, strange things started to happened to the Fairytail wizards. Even if they want to get out and abandon their mission, they are all trapped inside the Manor. Were they able to complete their mission? Or at least, get out of there 'alive' ?
1. Prologue

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

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**PROLOGUE**

Lucy's POV

I feel cold. I can barely open my eyes. My body is aching so much, it seems like I slammed into something. The throbbing of my head prevents me from moving it. What I first saw was the ceiling, there are cobwebs at the corners of the room. It's almost pitched black and it's really cold, I can't feel anything but the chills. The next thing my eyes caught was the back wall, it has chains attached to a tarnished metal bar, there are shackles at the other end of the chains. I glanced at the corner of my eyes and saw a dim light outside the rusty steel bars. The floor had uneven bricks covered with dust and there are several of stones scattered all over the place. I realized I was lying on this filthy floor. 'Where am I? Is this a prison?' I thought to myself. My eyes were too heavy to wonder more of the area so I decided to close it. I felt someone grab my right hand. It slowly lifts my hand up. I think he saw my insignia. Then I heard a voice.

_"Fairytail."_

It was a man. I don't know if he's an enemy or not. My eyes feel weak, but I managed to take a peek. All I saw about the man is that he's wearing an earring, a prominent metal pendant reminiscent of a double-edged blade attached to it. The last thing I remember is my head is raised a little and something soft was placed under it. I felt my consciousness fade away.


	2. Chapter 1: Mission Facade

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

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FAIRYTAIL GUILD

Everyone's loud and drinking. Some of Fairytail members can't stop celebrating their victory at Grand Magic Games. It's already been nearly five months since the GMG. The doors burst open and two figures emerge from it. It's Levy and Freed. They just come back from a mission.

"_We're home!"_ the two shouted inside the guild.

"_Welcome back!"_ everyone greets them cheerfully.

As Freed walked towards to his team, the Raijinshu (Thunder God Tribe), Levy runs straight to the strawberry-blonde girl who is sitting at the bar while drinking her favorite strawberry milkshake. She wears a mini blue sleeveless collared coat, a white chest-wrap with blue heart in the middle, a navy blue skirt with white belt, a pair of thigh high socks and a pair of mid-calf boots. Her celestial keys and Fleuve d'etoiles are with her of course.

"_Lu-chan! I missed you!"_ Levy cheerfully hugged Lucy around her neck.

"_Hi Levy! I missed you too, how's the job?"_ Lucy said as she finished drinking her milkshake.

"_It took days. But its okay, the place is huge! Maybe it's almost big as the Heartfilia Estate. The master of manor is just a kid, he's a really cute kid! You should have seen him."_ Levy squealed. _"I guess he's around twelve or thirteen years old."_

"_As big as the Heartfilia Estate…"_ Lucy mumbled while she lifted her right elbow on the bar and leans her face on palm, staring at the empty glass in front of her. She thought of something.

"_Just almost, Lu-chan. You seem not surprised about that kid owning that kind of property."_ Levy said.

'_I'm a Heartfilia heiress after all.'_ Lucy thought to herself awkwardly.

"_I remembered the nights his chamberlain made us work our butts off. The food is really good though. Freed's always complaining on how he wants to finish the mission already and go home because he missed his team already." _Levy stressed.

The conversation was interrupted by Natsu, the Fire Dragon Slayer. With Igneel's scarf, he wears an open-collared, one-sleeved black zipped waistcoat. He was at the request board with the half-naked Ice-Make Mage, Gray. They're examining some requests on the board.

"_Hey Luce! Let's go on a mission!"_ Natsu shouted and he was smacked at the back of his head by Gray.

"_What was that for, you pervert?!"_ Natsu shrieked and hits Gray in the face with a flamed fist.

"_Stop shouting, Flame Breath! I can't read with you yelling beside me!"_ Gray yelled back.

Lucy reached the request board and saw the scarlet-haired Requip Mage grabbed both Natsu and Gray's head and crashed them in front of her. She's not wearing her Heart Kreuz armor today, she's wearing a white sleeveless ruffle button down shirt and a blue skirt. Both of the boys are now lying on the floor lifeless. Lucy ignored the bodies on the floor and helped Erza on searching the board for a suitable mission.

"_Lucy, how about this one? I like the cursive writing of it."_ Erza said while pointing at a piece of paper attached on the board.

"_Cursive writi…did you even read it?!"_ Lucy whispered, ripping the paper from the pin of the board and starts to read.

STAY ALIVE!

Mission: Live inside the manor for a week.

Reward: 10,000,000 Jewels

P.S.: Not for faint-hearted people.

Gray and Natsu popped out behind Lucy that made her startled and almost jump.

"_Seems easy enough!"_ Gray grinned, still shirtless.

"_Gray, your shirt?"_ Erza asked with glares on her eyes and snatched the paper from Lucy's hand.

Gray started running around the guild like an idiot, looking for his shirt and coat. The Requip Mage walked towards the bar and calls the attention of Mirajane.

"_W-wait Erza! It says we need to stay a-alive for a week!"_ Lucy stuttered. Sweat drops are now starting to appear on her head.

"_Yeah, so?"_ Erza said calmly, ignoring Lucy's frightened face.

Natsu appeared near Erza and said, _"Yeah, so?"_ he mimicked her and a vein formed on Erza's head.

"_Don't copy me!"_ Erza hits his head. Natsu is now holding his head's swelling lump.

"_But we could die!"_ Lucy pleaded, as he pushed Natsu and hits the table with his head because of her panic.

"_Sounds fun to me."_ Gray scoffed with shirt-on now, crossing arms over his chest.

"_Lucy is scared~"_ Happy chime in.

"_Come on, Luce. The reward is big enough to pay your rent for months!"_ Natsu smirked, putting his arm over Lucy's shoulders, enduring the bump on his head.

"_F-fine! And I'm not scared Happy!"_ Lucy said loudly to hide her fright.

Upon hearing Lucy's approval, Mirajane chuckled and immediately stamps the request paper. Erza grabbed the paper and dragged Team Natsu throughout the door and kicks it to open.

"_Hey! Wait! What about Wendy!?"_ Lucy cried she saw Mirajane waving at them.

"_Wendy's on a job with Carla! Goodluck!"_ Mirajane shouted.

"_O-okay…"_ Lucy sobbed.

The three of them were dragged all the way to the train station. Gray and Natsu protested because of Erza's act but she only tightens her grip on them. Lucy is just miserably thinking for her life while Happy is making fun of her as he fly over them.

*Not in Magnolia*

PARLOUR ROOM

There were footsteps on the floor and all of a sudden the moonlight lit up the whole room. A tall, pale, black-haired man opened the curtains of a large window. He did the same for the two other windows. He was wearing a tailcoat suit and black trousers. He reached out in to his breast pocket and carry out a pocket watch. He opens it along with devious smile on his mouth. He closed the pocket watch and returned it to his breast pocket. The tall man turns around and walked towards a well-designed round table near the chess board stand. There's a tray with a fancy blue teapot set on it. A young man is playing the chess. He leans on an elegant baroque chair when he finished his move. The man on tailcoat suit lifted up a tea cup plate with a tea cup on and a tea pot. As he tilted the teapot to pour the cup, the young man spoke.

"_How did it go?"_ he bend over his right elbow on the armrest and leans over his face on his fist. His gaze never left the chessboard.

"_Everything goes as your plan, young master."_ he said while giving the tea to his master.

He reached the tea cup plate and lifts the tea cup just above his mouth. He took a whiff of the tea and sips a little of it. He smiled mischievously.


	3. Chapter 2: One-Way Ticket

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

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Erza's POV

I felt the train has stopped and we're the only ones left here. The sun is almost setting. _"We're here! Wake up guys."_ I saw Lucy and Gray woke up and stretched their limbs. We've been travelling for more or less 8 hours. My eyes fell on Natsu who's on the floor, still unconscious with his motion sickness.

_"Natsu, we're here. Let's get off the train."_ Happy shoves Natsu on his shoulder.

Feeling pity for my friend, I carried him out of the train. I'm sure Lucy and Gray is following behind me and Happy is flying over us, worriedly looking at his best friend. I grew tired of carrying Natsu over my shoulder so I decided to toss him on the ground as we reached the front side of the station. He regained consciousness and sit on his feet, holding his head in pain. Happy is cheering him up.

_"Hey, where are we supposed to go from here? It's getting dark already and its freezing."_ Lucy said while looking around.

The place has only one road that can allow only one vehicle to pass through. Beyond the road is a beautiful grazing land. The grass was trimmed evenly and taken care of. The breeze of the wind from the trees was really refreshing.

_"We should ask that guy."_ Gray pointed the coachman in a carriage from the far end of the road and it's moving towards us. The lantern on the carriage lightens up the road ahead of it.

_"I think our ride is here."_ I smiled while waving at the carriage.

_"I don't think so. I'll just walk from here."_ Natsu grinned and started to walk away.

I felt a vein popped out of my head and gripped on his scarf. I stared at him sharply and heard him whine.

"You don't even know where to go!" I glared at him.

_"But we just got off the train."_ Natsu's face is already turning green.

The white carriage stopped right in front of us. It has a nicely-done engraved roses design on the outside with a finishing touch of gold painted metal frames. The window has red rose curtains inside. It was being pulled by two white horses. The coachman jumped down from his seat and bows in front of us. We were all speechless, but I'm still holding on to Natsu's scarf. It was an elderly man with a gray hair and moustache. He also has a monocle and wears a sophisticated suit with white gloves.

_"The young master is expecting you."_ he said with respect, he opens the door of the carriage and pulls down the folding step.

_"All right! In you go."_ I threw Natsu inside the carriage and his Exceed followed him. I let Lucy and Gray in first before I climb inside. I seated beside Lucy but I helped Gray to make Natsu sit beside him. The coachman closes the door gently. Not a moment later, the carriage started to move. We were all distraught on Natsu's state. As we go deeper the forest, the mist started to cover the view outside.

_"Just bare it a little longer Natsu."_ Lucy patted Natsu's green head.

_"Well, Flame Brain deserves that."_ Gray chuckled while looking outside the glass window. I saw Lucy sighed.

_"He'll get better when we arrive. Don't worry Lucy."_ I pat her shoulder to make her feel a little better, and then she slightly nods and smiled.

15 minutes later...

Lucy's POV

Happy saw the Manor not far from a distant and pokes me. We leaned on the window to have a better look. There are lampposts on the road that lights up the way. When we passed by the lawn, we saw a young boy with wide blue eyes. The color of his hair is like mine, but is was short and a little bit messy, with bobby pins for his bangs. He was wearing plain white long sleeves top and plaid pants with high-knee boots. I think he also wears a straw hat behind his neck. He turned around and when he saw us, he started to wave his hand with a gardening glove. I waved back at him. It looks like he's really happy about our arrival, then he goes back on mowing the grass. I guess he's the gamekeeper of this place.

_"Lucy liiiiikes him!"_ Happy's teasing me.

_"No, I don't. Shut up!"_ I said in nuisance.

A few minutes later, the carriage stopped in the front of the manor and the door was opened by a maid. She greeted us cheerfully yet a hint of nervousness on her voice.

_"Welcome dear guests."_ she bends over.

The first thing I noticed about her is her thick round glasses, shamed that her eyes are covered. She has a cherry-red hair tied up in two pigtails and lacy frill around her head. She wears a typical maid's outfit. She almost jumps when Natsu regained consciousness and leaped outside in a blink of an eye. The maid apologized for she was shocked by the sudden act of our comrade. Of course, he earned another smack on his head from Erza as soon as we got off the carriage.

_"Thank you for the ride!"_ We all said in unison while bowing.

The coachman bid them goodbye by waving his hand twice and moved the carriage by the horses. The housemaid clears her throat that distracted us from looking at the moving cart.

_"Please follow me inside the house."_ a small tint of red appeared under her glasses and bows. _"I'm sorry."_

_"No, it's okay."_ I said to make her calm. "You remind me of someone. She apologizes a lot too!" I thought to myself. "What's your name?"

She just smiled at me and starts to walk towards the stairs. I guess she didn't hear me. Taking a few glance on the Manor, "It's not really a good time to examine the designs of the building, it's already dark for God's sake." I thought to myself. There's a long stairway that leads to the entrance. There's also a huge fountain established in front. I looked up the sky and saw some thick clouds moving slowly to conceal the moon. It succeeds. Small rumblings of thunder with flashes of lightning came from it. We all followed the maid until we reached the grand door.

_"IT'S HUGE!"_ Happy's jaw drops.

_"That's something you don't see every day, right Happy?"_ Natsu smirked.

_"Aye, sir!"_ Happy flew over Natsu's shoulder and sits.

The cherry- red haired maid gently opens the both of the doors widely. She gestures us to come inside. It's really dark inside and a cold wind passed by, sending chills on my back. A few drops of water came down upon our heads. It's starting to rain. We all stepped inside and I felt something strange, it's like I feel my body becomes feeble. All four of us looked at each other, it looks like I'm not the only one who felt it. As soon as that happened, we heard the doors closes behind us and the maid is nowhere to be found.


	4. Chapter 3: Royal Night

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

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Gray's POV

A complete unnatural silence embraced us in the dark. A few random lightning appeared outside the windows. It illuminates the hall a bit, ones in a while. I ignored the weird feeling and thought it might be just the weather. While looking around, I felt someone grabs my left sleeve. Natsu and Erza are in front of me, so that would be Lucy. But I'm really thankful that it's one of my comrades. I mean, it's not like I'm scared. 'There's no such thing as ghost.' I thought to myself. Actually, I felt stupid for even thinking it.

I shifted my eyes down to Lucy. I got annoyed of her grabby hands so I took her hands off me. But my eyes widens as I realized that her hand is ice cold and a bit shaky. 'Is it cold here?' I thought to myself and took off my white coat and put it over her shoulders, which left me my black spandex stand-up collar with short sleeves.

_"Seriously Lucy, you'll get sick if you keep wearing little outfits." _I scoffed.

_"Thank you."_ she replied in hushed tone and looked down.

_"Let's just move."_ Erza glanced on us at the corner of her eyes.

_"I'll just make a fire_—_"_ Natsu was cut off by a loud thud.

The chandelier above us begins to light up. We can now clearly see the whole entrance hall everything is furnished with elegant, luxurious furniture. There is big staircase in front of us. 'They must have a lot of servants here to clean this kind of house every day. Well, should I say Mansion?' I mentally smacked myself for talking to my mind a lot lately. Good thing my mind was distracted by Happy's yelp.

_"Ha! The maid is sleeping there."_ Happy said with a humorous tone while pointing at the maid's body, lying on the floor near the left corridor.

We were about to run towards her but we were stopped by the voice of a tall man in black suit coming down from the staircase. He's wearing a tailcoat suit with a black tie, a pair of white gloves and a pair of black trousers. His blood-red eyes suits nice with his short black hair but he looks creepy for me.

_"Please do excuse our servant's rudeness, dear guests."_ the man said while climbing down the stairs.

_"Nah... It's okay, but is she going to be alright?"_ Natsu asked. Finally, the dense dragon slayer understands something for once on his surroundings.

We saw the maid was being carried now by another man. I guess he's the cook here. He's wearing a chef outfit and a long apron but he's not wearing a toque. His hair is blonde, like Lucy's, but a bit darker. There's a goggles hanging around his neck and an unlit cigarette on his mouth. The blonde staff started to walk away from our sight with the unconscious maid.

_"Of course she will."_ the tall man smiled brightly yet still creepy.

_"Hey Erza, I'm hungry."_ Natsu whispered to Erza while rubbing his stomach and it growls.

I fight the urge to laugh when Erza stared him fiercely. My feelings suddenly changed when I take a quick look over Lucy. She looks pale. The man in tailcoat suit walked towards to us and bows with his right hands lifted across his left chest. 'I hate those red eyes of his. It's full of malice.' I mentally talked to myself again.

_ "The young master will see you at dinner. For now, I shall lead you to your rooms."_ He said as he stands up straight.

_"That would be great."_ Erza smiled.

Natsu and Happy cheered loudly. They didn't seem to notice Lucy's fright. "Oh well" I mumbled to myself and I put my left arm over Lucy's shoulder. She gasped and her eyes widens as she looked at me.

_"Ain't that great?"_ I grinned.

_"Uh… Yeah!"_ she smiled and nods.

Finally, but I think she's still cold so I just let my arm rest over her shoulder for a while. Natsu, Erza and Happy still haven't notice though.

-REEL STOPS-

Little Gray pops out in the middle of the screen. He closed his eyes and crossed arms over his chest. He clears his throat.

_"Dear Readers, please don't get me wrong about my actions towards Lucy. No shippers please. Don't even think forming romantic ideas for us in this fanfic. Juvia might strangle Lucy to death if she knew what I'm doing now. Lucy is my 'nakama', and she's like a lil' sister to me. I don't like it when she's sad or troubled. Okay? Err… What did you say? I like Juvia that's why I'm doing this? Well…"_

He heard Juvia from the other room. _"Gray-sama!? Where are you!?"_ Gray's sweat drops.

_"Gotta go!"_ Little Gray runs away.

-REEL RESUMES-

*Time Skip*

INSIDE NATSU'S ROOM

Natsu's POV

I jumped up and down with Happy on our bed. It's so huge and fluffy, but I stopped jumping lean my back until it reach the bed.

_ "I'll bet they have a King-sized Fish!"_

_"Just think about it, we're just guests but we have separate rooms and free dinner for later. We don't have to pay for it."_

_"I just wished Carla is here too."_ Happy sighed and lie next to me.

Now that I thought of it. We haven't even started the mission. "Well, if the free fluffy bed and free food is one of the perks of doing this job then it will be great." I grinned. My stomach growled. Happy and I looked at each other and laughed.

_"Hey Natsu, your stomach is talking."_ Happy teased.

_"Yeah, I'm really hungry."_ I rubbed my stomach.

_"I think they cook very delicious fish here."_ Happy is drooling while daydreaming.

I suddenly remember what happened earlier when we entered this house. I sat up in Indian sit-style and crossed my arms over my chest. I closed my eyes.

-FLASHBACK-

When we stepped inside, I feel like weak like I don't have my magic anymore. All four of us looked at each other. It looks like I'm not the only one who felt something. As soon as that happened, we heard the doors closes behind us with a loud BANG.

-FLASHBACK END-

I opened my eyes and lift my right hand. I stared at it and I was about to cast it on fire but I was cut off by the person who is knocking at the door.

_"Sir dinner is ready."_ the maid said.

_"It must be the maid earlier. Come on Happy."_ I smirked as Happy flew over me.

As I opened the door and smiled at the maid and said thank you for reminding us. She did the same for my other comrades. After that, we just followed her. The maid had some bandage on her forehead and there's a crack on her glasses. I was about to ask her but someone cut me off. 'Again!?' I shouted on my mind. 'Why does everybody cut me off on doing something!?' My stomach growls again. I just sighed in defeat.

_"Hey, are you ok? What happened to your head?"_ Lucy asked while walking.

"Ohh, this one?" she points her bandaged forehead and giggled. _"When I closed the door earlier, I hit my head on the wall. I forgot to switch the light 'before' going out the Manor to meet you guys. I'm always clumsy but I'm thankful that I'm still working here regardless of my inappropriate actions as a housemaid." _she paused for a while and blushed _"I am grateful that young master is keeping me."_

I saw Lucy smiled and feeling satisfied of what she has heard.

_"So, this master of yours is really kind then?"_ Gray asked.

_"Sometimes, he's hard to understand but he's really kind to his servants."_ she replied.

_"By the way, can you tell us something about the job?"_ Erza strictly asked the maid.

The cherry-red hair maid suddenly stopped walking upon hearing the question. A thunder roared loudly and the rain becomes a storm. There's a lightning shone near the big window on our left side. I saw the maid's hazel eyes glaring on us. Her sweet face is gone and has changed into a grave looks. Her stare is like daggers stabbing on my chest. 'What is this feeling?' I thought to myself, and then she spoke very sternly as if she became another person.

_"I'm afraid I'm not the person you should ask for that."_ then she opened the doors next to her.

Inside the room, there's a long dining table in the middle and there are huge windows on the wall against from where we are standing. The fire from the fireplace warms up the room very well; it's in the middle of the wall with the windows. It's very cozy. The carpet on the floor looks expensive as well as the silverwares. The curtains are tied up and we can see the harsh rain pouring down.

_"Come in please, the young master will be here in a moment."_ the maid is back on her cheerfully old features.

The maid and the coachman earlier helped Erza and Lucy on their seats, while Gray and I sat next to each other against the girls. Happy is with me of course. Behind us is the great fireplace, I looked at it for a while and enjoyed watching the fire. The flames are dancing in front of my eyes. Then I noticed, the four servants are carefully aligned on the left side of the fireplace, they're facing the table. The coachman, the maid, the cook and another blonde with straw hat strapped behind his neck. My head shifted on the two-way doors when I heard there's someone next to it. The door flew open when the man in tailcoat pushed it and there's a kid next to him, wearing a blue Victorian noble suit, strapped socks and boots. All of our eyes followed the presence of the kid as he walks with his walking stick and seats on his chair next to Lucy and Gray. He handed his stick to the butler beside him. Erza stands up and bows.

_"Thank you for your hospitality."_ Erza glared on the three of us.

It forced us to stand up and do the same for the little kid. He rests his elbows on the table and interlaced his fingers that covered his mouth. The fiery red eyes of his are examining us one by one. I was shocked by Happy's voice, shouting for help. Erza and the others are look stunned. I turned around and saw the tall man took Happy away. My blood started to boil out of anger.

_"Give me back Happy!"_ I shouted.


	5. Chapter 4: Ignorance is a Bliss

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

_"Fairytail Wizards"_ the master of the manor has spoken. It's very strict but not so harsh, just enough for them to focus their attention to him.

Lucy, Erza and Gray shifted gaze from Happy to the young man sitting across them. Natsu, on the other hand, keeps glaring on the man in black tailcoat suit. Both of his hands are now clutching. His teeth are in gritting and he's growling. Perhaps, he didn't hear the head of the house. Happy was still being carried by the creepy man with blood-red eyes. The little Exceed keeps in struggling.

_"I said, give me back Happy!"_ Natsu insisted. He slammed one of his fists on the table. The diningware was shoke a little, fortunately, nothing has fall or broken.

_"Oi, Natsu. Calm down."_ Gray grips Natsu's shoulder, but he just shoves it off.

_"Fire Dragon Slayer"_ the young master called Natsu, this time he's like shouting.

Natsu turned around to shift his blazing glare to the master of the house. He lifts his right hand and points at the kid.

_"You! Order your servant to let go of Happy!"_ Natsu shouted.

Before anyone could say a word, the young man with black hair stands up. He put his hands behind him and spoke.

_"My butler means no harm to your cat."_ he sighed and paused for a while. _"You see, I don't do well with animals, I'm allergic to them."_

_"But he's not 'really' a cat. He's an Exceed."_ Lucy protested.

_"Again, my servants shall not harm your cat or 'Exceed' or whatever you want to call it. It's still furry and I might get sick. Please take your seats, I'm hungry."_ he sits down and leans on his chair. _"My servants will take care of him."_

Natsu looks at Happy. His glares are now changed into a dumbfounded look. He saw Happy lying is a soft cushions in a big basket with lavander ribbons around it while eating a large fish. The man in tailcoat suit is serving Happy a variety of fishes in a big tray. The others saw it too. Due to embarrassment the sweatdrops on their head started to fall awkwardly fast. They all sat down at once.

The chef walks around while pushing a food cart with him. He serves them some soup. Everyone on the table starts to eat. No one wants to talk or start the chat because of the embarrassing incident. Erza, with her courage, stands up and bows in front of the kid.

_"I deeply apologize with our hostility. It will not happen again."_ then she throws daggered glares to Natsu. Natsu, started to shrink on his seat.

The head of the house gestured Erza to sit down. The butler serves the noble kid a separate dish, a _Foie Gras_. The maid was very shaky on handling the silver tray with cover. She went in between Natsu and Gray's chair. When she was about to put the trays on the table, Gray noticed the maid's nervousness.

_"Are you ok?"_ he whispered while handing over the tray from the maid's hands.

_"I'm sorry."_ her face was flushed and bows down. Lucy saw the whole thing and smiled uncertainly.

The trays have been set in the table and it was opened up by the chamberlain one by one. The foods that are served are roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, fried fishes, steak, boiled potatoes and mashed potatoes. For dessert, blocks of ice cream, jellies, apple pies, chocolate dip strawberry and strawberry cake. The arrangement of the foods in the trays is mouth-watering. Their stomach growled in unison while drooling.

_"Please enjoy this little feast we made for you."_ the butler said.

_"LITTLE!?"_ the Fairytail wizards shouted while their jaws dropped.

_"All right!"_ Natsu started to fill his plate with a variety of foods, but mostly roasted chickens. Gray did the same but with more decency. Lucy got some mashed potatoes and a steak, while Erza didn't care about anything else in the table but the strawberry cake.

_"It's so deliciousssss!"_ Natsu cried out of joy.

_"Natsu, slow down a bit."_ Lucy said with sweatdrop.

The chef at the back is crying in joy while being pat awkwardly by the blonde with straw hat. The dragon slayer keeps on eating and the pile of plates beside him keeps on piling up. After a while Lucy got some strawberries and chocolate dip. Gray gets some ice cream for dessert and Erza is keeping the strawberry cake for herself. Happy in the corner of the room saw the ice cream over the table.

_"I want some of that too."_ Happy drools.

_"Here."_ The tall man in black tail suit appeared next to him, Happy almost jumped.

He gives the little Exceed a big bowl of ice cream and he literally digs his face in it. He gazed upon his young master and stands up. He walked towards him and hands him some papers. The young master of the house started to speak.

_"Natsu Dragneel, a fire dragon slayer. Gray Fullbuster, an ice-make wizard. Erza Scarlet, a requip mage. And Lucy Heartfilia, a celestial mage."_ then he placed the papers on the table. He caught their attention while eating.

The Fairytail wizards shifted their eyes to the noble kid and stops eating. The thunderstorm got stronger as he speaks. The lights from the chandelier went on and off twice.

_"This are what is left of my faithful servants."_ he gestured his left hand to his servants.

_"What do you mean?"_ Gray crossed his arms over his chest.

_"A few months ago, my servants started to disappear. At first, we thought they are just skipping their duties or running away. I got aggravated by their doing so I called their families and friends, but they're nowhere to be found. Last week, my fiancée went over to visit me. Before the sun has set that day, we can't find her and so was her personal maid. I take full responsibility for their disappearance since they did vanish here in my house."_

_"That's awful."_ Lucy sobbed.

_"We'll find them for you."_ Natsu said as he stands up.

_"That really is distressing, but that's not what it's said here in your request and you we don't even know your names."_ Erza puts out the request paper on the table.

He sighed and he leans his elbows on the table, interlaced his finger, he leans his chin over it.

_"You shall do exactly as you are told in that piece of parchment. You need to stay here for seven days to investigate what's happening in my manor. Tomorrow, I will leave for business overseas with my servants and return in seven days. I could not afford to lose anyone of them anymore. Also, you need not to know our names. It's not necessary. "_ The young master firmly replied.

Erza clicked her tongue in frustration. The maid was crying and being comforted by her friends. Happy flew beside Natsu in teary eyes.

_"Natsu, let's help them."_ Happy sobbed.

_"You know that I will."_ Natsu smirked.

_"I shall retire for the night."_ the young kid stands up and the butler handed him the walking stick.

*TIME SKIP*

The rain starts to subside. Mists formed outside the window. The night sky is clearing and the stars started to appear.

Lucy can't sleep. She keeps on rolling on her bed just to find a comfortable side, but it failed. She tosses her blanket and stands up. She's wearing regular PJs she got from the cabinet. Lucy carried one of her pillows and went outside of her room. She hugged her pillow and walked towards Erza's room.

_"Erza?"_ she said while knocking on her door, hoping that she's still awake.

Erza opens her door wide enough to let Lucy through. She smiled, she didn't have to say anything, she knew Lucy is afraid and she closed the door. A few minutes later, another consecutive knocks woke up Erza. Lucy is sleeping beside her when she got up. It was Gray and Natsu with Happy on his arms.

_"Seriously?"_ Erza arched her eyebrow.

Erza grunted but let them in. They all sleep in the large bed. Erza is beside Lucy, Lucy is hugging Happy. Gray and Natsu are lying near the footer of the bed without the blankets over them. You'll get the picture.

Next morning...

The maid was screaming at the top of her lungs.


	6. Chapter 5: Day 1 - Lifeline Countdown

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

The two blonde servants rushed to the maid's whereabouts. They found her between the rooms of the Fairytail wizards, all the doors are opened.

_"The Fairytail wizards are gone."_ she cried.

The chef and the gardener took a quick look at the rooms. It's true, the beds are unmade and wrinkled but there's no sign of the wizards.

_"D-don't you think… They were eaten by the house too?"_ the gardener was horrified.

_"Idiot! Don't be stupid."_ the chef smacked him on the head.

A few moments later, they heard a several running footsteps coming towards them. It's the Fairytails in their PJs.

_"What happened!?"_ Natsu asked.

_"Are you guys okay? Is there an attack?"_ Erza followed.

The servants of the manor looked at each other with wide eyes.

*TIME SKIP*

OUTSIDE THE MANOR

_"How well can you do without magic?"_ the young man gazed his eyes among the wizards.

_"We can still fight without our magic if that's what you mean_." Erza glared. She doesn't want the young master to think little of them.

_"What do you mean?"_ Lucy asked.

_"Nothing. Take care of yourselves and my home."_ the noble kid smiled and went inside the carriage with the butler. The carriage moves in usual pace.

_"Goodbye…"_ the servants said while waving from the second carriage following the first carriage. They seem distressed about leaving.

_"Bye! See you guys in a week!"_ Lucy and Natsu yelled.

They all walked back inside the manor. They all felt hungry and decided to go to the kitchen if they can find something to eat.

Erza's POV

I opened the double door fridge. I saw nothing inside but pitchers of cold water. Gray looked inside the pantry, it's all empty.

_"What kind of Mansion is this!?"_ Gray yelled.

_"Are they trying to starve us to death?"_ Natsu skeptically asked.

_"No, wait. I remembered them saying it is all taken care of."_ Lucy protested.

_"Hey, what's for breakfast?"_ Happy asked while entering the kitchen.

A sound of bomb exploded on Happy. Fluffy smoke surrounds the little Exceed now. We ran towards him but our jaws dropped open we the smoke disappeared. Happy is now sitting on a wooden baby high chair. There's also a plate with a big fish and a glass of milk on the mini table.

_"Oi! Where did you get that!?"_ Natsu exclaimed while pointing his finger at his best friend.

_"I don't know, I just walked in here and said 'what's for breakfast', then-"_ Happy almost jumped when another fish popped on his plate. Happy was overjoyed and started eating.

_"Now I get it!"_ Natsu slammed his right fist on his left palm and said, "What's for breakfast!"

Another smoke appeared and when it subsides. Natsu is now sitting on a wooden chair and the wooden table with white table cloth, in front of him has several plates completed with spoon, fork, table napkin and a bread knife. It has bacon, sausages, eggs, loaves of bread and a glass of water.

_"Let's eat!"_ Natsu yelled and started eating.

Gray followed every step that Natsu did and he got everything like what Natsu had for breakfast.

_"I think it's not necessary to say the whole sentence."_ I said while looking at Lucy.

_"Uhh.. Guys, don't you think it's a bit odd? There could be a poison on your breakfast and-"_ Lucy was cut off by the mysterious smoke and she's now on her 'breakfast meal'. On Lucy's table, she has a couple of pancakes, maple syrup, eggs, loaves of breads and a cup of coffee. I took a bite on one of the breads and wait for a while, maybe something will happened.

I saw Natsu and Happy are almost finished with their food but they're not 'dead' yet. So, we realized there's no poison on it, it's just plain foods that came out from nowhere.

I smiled and said, _"Breakfast." _loud and clear. So, I have a French toasts, a slice of strawberry cake and a tea. My eyes marveled at the sight of my strawberry cake and I started eating it. Lucy starts to eat to when she saw me 'not dying from any poison'.

It's really weird, it's like we're in a restaurant but the table and chairs are miserably arranged. When we finished our meals, we decided to rest for a while then we'll start looking around the house. 'How disturbingly convenient.' I thought to myself.

_"Ok! Let's go Happy!"_ Natsu stands up and Happy flew over him. Their tables has vanished. We all gasp, but Lucy laughed and said it saves us for cleaning up the mess.

_"Natsu, before you leave. You should have this."_ I handed him a copy of the manor's floor plan.

_"Where did you get this?"_ Natsu unfolded the sheets of map and examines it.

_"Oi, Flame Brain, do you even know how to use that?"_ Gray walked behind Natsu.

_"Of course Popsicle Princess."_ Natsu sneered.

_"Enough you two, I got it from the butler earlier. He doesn't want us to get lost."_ I tossed the other maps to Gray and Lucy.

_"For today, let's just mark all the rooms that we can inspect. We'll meet up at the entrance hall later."_ I said.

_"What are we searching for, again?"_ Lucy doubtfully asked.

_"Find some clues or any other unusual things."_ I ordered to them.

The sky started to dim. It looks like it's going to rain later. Hopefully, it's not as hard as yesterday. We all spread throughout the Manor. Lucy took the first floor, I took the second floor, Natsu and Happy is on third floor and Gray took the cellar and courtyard. I've done checking some the bedrooms including ours. Everything is in place. But something odd happened when I decided to go leave the second floor.


	7. Chapter 6: The Exploration

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

FIRST FLOOR - HALLWAY

Lucy's POV

Everything in this manor is polished. It's incredible that only four people can get this place in order. I went on every room I see on my way. First the Dining Hall, everything is in place. The fireplace was unlit and the chairs are properly tucked in the table. I didn't walk-in, thinking that there are a lot of rooms I have to check and this one doesn't need to be inspected. I closed the doors and went to the next one, the drawing room, then the living room, breakfast room, a couple of guests room, and the chapel. Nothing seems to be out of place.

I felt dryness on my throat and head back to the kitchen for a glass of water. The daylight from the outside is gone. Slowly, a light rain has started. I saw it pouring outside the kitchen's window. It's cold again, I wished I had Gray's coat. I put my hands over my arms and looked around. The room was not entirely dark, I can still see something. I went near the door for the light switches but before I can flip it, the bulbs in the kitchen have turned on. It made my heart jump. I turned around and saw no one is here but me. I think the room got colder or I'm just too scared that it heightens the cold. I lift my celestial key and decided to summon Plue for company.

_"I open thee, gate of Canis Minor! Nikora!"_ I said load and clear. Nothing happened but I tried again.

_"I open thee, gate of Canis Minor! Nikora!"_ I shouted. But still, nothing.

My trembling hands lift up my keys and look for Loke's key.

_"I open thee, gate of Lion! Leo!"_ tears are starting to form my eyes. Nothing happened again.

I tried more with my other keys.

_"I open thee, gate of Maiden! Virgo!"_

_"I open thee, gate of the Twins! Gemini!"_

_"I open thee, gate of Goat! Capricorn!"_

I even tried to summon Aquarius without water around me. I don't care if she kills me. But nothing, no gate has opened. My tears started to fall endlessly. I don't know what to do anymore. I fall on my knees and started to cry. Did something happen? Did they break their contracts with her? No. That's beyond impossible. While moping inside the kitchen, something came up on my mind.

-FLASHBACK-

OUTSIDE THE MANOR

_"How well can you do without magic?"_ the young man gazed his eyes among the wizards.

_"We can still fight without our magic if that's what you mean_." Erza glared. I think the kid is testing us.

_"What do you mean?"_ I asked.

_"Nothing. Take care of yourselves."_ the noble kid smiled and went inside the carriage with the butler.

-FLASHBACK END-

My eyes dreadfully widen. My mouth slowly dropped open. 'No... That can't happen.' I rose up and I rushed to the door. _"I have to tell the others about it. We could be in trouble."_ When I opened the door, the lights in the corridor are on but before I step outside, I flipped the switch off. But the lights didn't turn off in the kitchen so I flipped it twice, but nothing happened again.

_"First my keys, now these stupid lights won't turn off."_ I muttered.

As I stepped outside, the light has turned off before I could close the door. Suddenly, I cannot move. A cold ambiance starts to linger around me.

_"Who the hell did that!?"_ I yelled out of anger and fear.

I looked around but no one's there. All I heard was the thunder and rain. I felt something lift up from me, now I can move again. It must be just my mind playing at me. I sighed and didn't mind the light thing anymore. I ran straight to the entrance hall. 'They have to know.' I insisted to myself.

FIRST FLOOR - COURTYARD

Gray's POV

It's a bit windy today. I tilted my head and look up in the dark cloudy sky. 'Looks like it's gonna rain soon.' I warned myself. I strolled in the middle of the courtyard with my hands in my coat's pocket. The floor is made of seamless ornamental bricks. There's a pond with a fountain there. It reveals the crest of the family who lives here. I leaned over it and saw the pond is clean. I was expecting some coins below the water but I saw nothing but pebbles. 'Silly, that only happens on public fountains.' There is an elevated verandah around the courtyard. It has Victorian columns and above it has a long frieze panel that connects all the columns.

_"Nothing out of ordinary here."_ I sat next to the fountain and opened my wrinkled map. I looked for a quickest way to get to the wine cellar but the droplets of water distract me from reading the map. Yes, it started to rain.

_"Great."_ I run to the nearest verandah and shook my wet hair.

I heard someone shouted next to the wall. I looked around for a door or window but I didn't see one. I leaned my ear on the wall. No one is yelling anymore. There's just a weeping girl now. I checked on my map to know what is on the other side of the wall. It's the kitchen. I thought it might be the fiancée of the arrogant kid. I went all around the verandah and got in. I ran where the kitchen is.

I slammed the door opened and went inside. I was stunned while catching my breath. My eyes roamed around the room. It's clearly not the kitchen, this is the laundry room. I clicked my tongue while opening my map. I retraced my tracks from the courtyard. This should be the kitchen. I sighed and hid the map. The butler must be mistaken when he made this. I checked out the room. No whiner is on sight. Just some unused clothes folded neatly. Running steps and panting sounds caught my attention. It passed by outside this room. I went out to see who it is. It was Lucy. I think she's heading back in the entrance room. It's a bit early to go to the meeting place but I had to follow her.

THIRD FLOOR - OBSERVATORY

Natsu's POV

_"Hey Natsu! Come here."_ Happy is hovering over the huge telescope.

_"Is this what they use to see the stars up close?"_ I looked into the eyepiece and got disappointed.

_"What's wrong Natsu?"_ Happy asked.

_"I can't see any stars. The clouds are too thick."_ I lift my head up and smirked. _"Let's go check another room."_

_"Aye!"_ Happy flew before me.

It's raining outside. I wonder what everyone is doing. Good thing, I lift the lever of an electric switchboard. The switch has "Lights" name on it. The lights in the corridors and hallways are now on. We went to our next destination, the attic.

We opened the creaky door and saw a lot of boxes in the attic. It's not like any other attic though. It's clean. No cobwebs, no dust. Just old stuffs are kept in here. Happy flew in the other end of the room. I kept on looking for something 'unusual'. 'Erza said it. It's an absolute order.' I sighed.

_"Natsu! Come take a look."_ Happy is pointing at the small window.

_"What is it?"_ I ran towards him.

The wooden floor is squeaking every time I stepped on it. I reached the sphere window and looked outside. There's a huge maze garden at the back of the house.

_"Let's go there Natsu!"_ Happy said.

_"Sure, after we met everyone later. Okay?"_ I lift my right thumb up and Happy nods.

_"Let's go down now, I'm hungry."_ Happy said and sits on my shoulder.

_"I'm a bit hungry too."_ I chuckled.

We went all the way to the entrance hall. We saw Lucy and Gray are sitting at the stairs. They seemed to be talking about something. When we reached them, Lucy started to cry.

_"Oi, Popsicle Princess! Why did you make Luce cry?"_ I growled at Gray

_"Do you want some fish, Lucy?"_ Happy lift a fish in front of her.

_"Natsu... Happy..."_ Gray sighed.

We both looked at him. His face is so stern. It's kind of freaking me out.

_"We can't use magic in here."_ Gray muttered.

_"Yes, I can."_ Happy said while showing his wings and flew over us.

Lucy and Gray looked at each other when they saw Happy flying over them. I can see they are shocked about it.

_"Don't be stupid, Gray. Of course we can still use our magic in here. Look."_ I showed them my fist that I thought I already set on fire. I tried again, but this time, I tried to hit the floor with fire but nothing. I just hurt myself. I was stunned while looking at my hands.

_"Maybe, only the wizards are limited here."_ Lucy sobbed while Happy sits beside her.

_"That arrogant kid set us up."_ Gray is aggravated as he stands up.

_"No, it can't be. That's impossible."_ I trembled. _"Where's Erza!?"_

_"We don't know. I don't know if she knows it already."_ Gray crossed his arms over his chest. _"Let's just wait for her here."_


	8. Chapter 7: Paradoxical Dead Cell

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

ENTRANCE HALL

Natsu's POV

After a few hours…

_"What's taking her so long!?"_ I exclaimed.

I saw Lucy gasps. She was shocked about something.

_"This morning when we heard the maid screaming, they thought we were eaten by the house. Fortunately, we're not eaten we are just in the other room. The maid must be sleepy when she tries to wake us up. But what if the gardener is right, that this house is eating people!?"_ Lucy said in terror.

_"That's ridiculous!"_ I scoffed and didn't believe it.

_"What if it is? There's a lot of people disappeared here!"_ Lucy exclaimed.

_"According to the arrogant KID."_ Gray chuckled.

_"Yeah! And what if Erza disappears too!?"_ Lucy started to sob.

They kept on arguing pointlessly. I groaned and walked towards the right corridor. Happy was about to fly to me but I shook my head.

_"I'm going to find Erza."_ I said while walking away.

_"Oi!"_ Gray shouted.

I walked aimlessly in the empty corridor. It's completely silent. The rain has stopped I think. I can only hear my footsteps and my voice that keeps on shouting Erza's name. It was starting to get cold here. I looked into some rooms too, but still no sign of her. I reached the half-standing staircase and started to climb up but I met Erza half the way.

_"Oi, Erza! Where have you been?"_ I asked.

Erza is not like Erza. Her eyes are lifeless and she didn't seem to hear me. When she got down the stairs, she turns around and climbs up again. I grabbed her arm but she just shoves my hand off and keeps on climbing up.

_"Erza! We're in serious trouble! What the hell is wrong with you?!"_ I shouted at her.

She's still in not listening to me. I knew that what I'm about to do is going to get myself killed later, but if it's the only thing that can do to make her wake up… I grabbed her shoulder tightly and slapped her face.

_"Snap out of it!"_ I yelled.

She stopped moving and in fact, her eyes are full of anger now. Her left cheek is a bit reddish. 'I must have overdone it.' It sends shivers down my spine.

_"Why did you hit me!?"_ Erza yelled at me.

_"Y-you're…"_ I stuttered in fear.

_"Spit it out!"_ Erza's held my collar and scarf up.

_"Erza, you've been gone for hours. Everyone's worried and_ —_"_ Erza released me.

She ran to the nearest window and her eyes widens. I walked towards her and touch her shoulder.

_"Come on. Let's go meet the others. There are a lot of things we need to talk about."_ I said and we walked all the way to the entrance hall.

-TIME SKIP-

We finished eating our dinner. Lucy barely ate her food. Erza just ate her strawberry cake. Gray, Natsu and Happy finished their meal. They all sit there quietly until Lucy started to cry again.

_"Lucy…"_ Happy flew over her and she hugs the little Exceed.

_"Okay. Tell me, what's going on?"_ Erza asked.

_"Lucy said we can't use our magic here. However, Happy can still use his wings."_ Gray explained.

_"I see. Maybe that's what the kid was asking us earlier."_ Erza closed her eyes and leans her face on her fist.

_"Do you think they set us up?"_ Natsu asked Erza.

_"Maybe they did or maybe it's the house itself."_ The requip mage opened her eyes. _"For now, what happened in your search?"_

_"We saw a maze garden at the back of the house!"_ Happy raised.

_"We're planning to go there tomorrow."_ the dragon slayer smirked.

_"Well, I saw nothing at the courtyard but I heard someone yelling and weeping from the kitchen. I thought it was the fiancée of the arrogant kid. When I went inside to look for it, but it turns out that it's not the kitchen. It's the utility room. The butler must have misplaced the names of the place."_ Gray said.

_"Yelling and weeping? I think that was me. I'm in the kitchen when I found out that we can't use magic."_ the celestial mage sobbed.

_"Ohhh…"_

_"Didn't you see me through the window?"_

_"No, there isn't any window and it's the laundry room. Not in the kitchen."_

_"Maybe you're just imagining things Gray."_

_"Tch… I heard someone, okay?"_

_"How about you Erza? Why are you climbing up and down the stairs?"_ Natsu asked.

_"Honestly, I didn't know what happen either."_ Erza sighed.

-FLASHBACK-

Erza's POV

I was walking down the corridor and I saw the half landing stairs around the corner. Against it was a painting of the annoying noble kid. I decided to take a look at the painting before going down since it's not yet lunch time or so I thought. The floor is spotless hardwood. The walls are covered with burgundy Victorian wallpapers. I reached the huge painting and observe it. He's wearing another warm-gray Victorian suit. He was sitting in an elegant red and gold throne with his legs crossed and he actually smiled at this painting. His eyes are not red like we saw before, it's turquoise blue. It was really beautiful. I wonder what happened. I turned around and head towards the stairs.

I felt dizzy on my way down. I was about to turn right when I reached the first floor. But then I saw the painting again. The painting is a little different. He still wearing the same suit and sitting in the same position. He has now this serious face and his eyes are ruby red. I realized I'm still not in the first floor. I thought I was on the third floor earlier by a mistake so I turned to the other side of the stairs and climb down. When I landed on the first floor, or I thought it was. The lights on this floor are off except the one between the painting and the stairs. I gasped at the sudden change of the painting. I'm sure it's the kid on the throne but he's now all bloody and skinless. His eye sockets are empty and bleeding as well. His elegant suit is now stained with blood and it's…spreading. 'Spreading!?' my eyes widens in terror because of the painting. I can feel my heartbeat pumping so fast. The blood is animating on its own. It's slowly oozing out of his clothes and boots. The blood is dripping all over the floor of the painting. I stepped back nervously. The atmosphere of the corridor has changed. It was so cold but my wary eyes never left the horrid painting. I can smell the drenched flesh of the kid already and I saw the blood has started to drip out of the painting. How is that even possible!? Out of panic, I ran down the stairs near me. As I reached down the stairs, I'm still on the same floor before but the bloody kid was gone. In fact, the throne is empty. The lights on this floor are flickering so I decided to run down the stairs again.

This time, before I made it to the first floor landing, I felt something hit my face. I looked around but nothing really hit me. I blinked and Natsu is in front of me, snapping me to reality.

-FLASHBACK END-

_"That's stupid!"_ Natsu smirked.

_"Maybe, you're just tired or sick."_ Gray said.

_"Erza, don't scare us. It's not funny."_ Lucy groaned.

"I'm not lying. Do you really think I'm gonna make fun of you? I don't know why I've been gone for hours. I knew it's was still at noon. I walked down the stairs and it feels like just a matter of few minutes. I'm confused as well, but this is the job we took, so take it seriously." Erza pauses. "Something's wrong in this house but we're gonna finish our quest. From now on, no one will wander alone. Happy, Natsu and Gray should sleep together in one room, Lucy and I will stay in my room. I don't want to hear any complaints." She glared at Natsu and Gray.

_"A-aye!"_ Gray and Natsu said nervously in unison.

-TIME SKIP-

ERZA'S ROOM

It's in the middle of early hours in the morning. It's still dark outside. Lucy got up from bed. Her movements didn't wake Erza. She's still in PJs when she walked outside the room. Her eyes were closed. The lights in the corridors are on. She didn't close the door and proceeds on walking. She lifts her hands up to guide her way. Her feet lead her all the way to the entrance hall. When she was about to step down the stairs, she slipped. She started to fell from the stairs and rolled roughly on the steps. She hit her head with one of the steps. It's like tumbling without supporting yourself with your arms and hands all the way down the stairs. She lands at the end of the stairway filled with bruises, cuts and scratches all over her body.


	9. Chapter 8: Day 2 - Watchful Eyes

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

NATSU'S ROOM

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The sun is up but its bit cloudy. The ambiance inside the manor is cold but this does not trouble the three young members of Fairytail. Natsu and Happy are still sleeping on the bed. Gray is still sleeping on the couch too. They kept on snoring but that did not seem to wake them up. Somebody keeps on knocking on the door and that didn't disturb them as well, except for Natsu. His dragon hearing sense is making him nuts.

_"Happy… Someone's knocking."_ Natsu groaned.

_"Fine…"_ Happy yawned. He lazily walked to the door and unlocked it.

The door ruthlessly flew open and the little Exceed hides beside the closet in fear. A mad Erza stomped inside the room. Veins started to appear on her head when she saw Gray and Natsu still as sleep after all the ruckus she made at the door. She grabbed the pillows and started to hit them with it. They are both forced to stand up.

_"What's the big deal Erza!?"_ Natsu growled and he received a pillow shot on his face.

_"Lucy's missing!"_ Erza shouted.

_"What do you mean missing? She was with you last night, right?"_ Gray yawned.

_"She was but when I woke up, she's not beside me anymore. I already looked on her room and the other rooms here in second floor, but I didn't find her."_ she glared at Natsu _"You! Didn't you hear anything last night? You didn't hear her come out the room?"_

_"No. I'm sorry. I was fast asleep."Natsu rubbed his right eye._

Erza clucked her tongue because of disappointment and puts her hands on her hips. She walks away, gritting her teeth in anger. Unlike Natsu and Gray, Erza is a light sleeper. 'How could Lucy slip out last night on her guard?' Gray started to change his clothes.

_"Move it Natsu, we'll go look for her."_ Gray said while changing.

They searched everywhere inside the manor. Gray and Natsu looked all over the outside grounds and first floor, but the celestial mage is nowhere to be found. Erza and Happy covered the second floor and third floor, still, no sign of her. After the search, they all went back to Erza's room and think of their next step.

_"I don't think that she'll abandon us and run away, right?"_ Gray sighed.

_"That's not Lucy at all, Gray. She'll never do such thing."_ Natsu replied.

_"Maybe she's hungry and looked for a fish?"_ Happy asked and made his way to the bathroom.

_"We can eat wherever and whenever we want, remember?"_ Erza lied down the bed, but sits up when she heard Happy's voice.

_"Hey! Lucy is sleeping in the bathtub!"_ Happy flew outside the bathroom

They all went to the bathroom and saw Lucy lying in the empty bathtub. She has bruises all over her body. Her PJs have small scratches and soiled. Natsu carried her and put her on the bed gently. Erza started to treat Lucy's bruises and cleaned her scratches.

_"I thought you already looked here?"_ Natsu raised a brow on Erza.

_"I did, but she was not there before. We all know how Lucy loves to take baths, right?"_ Erza ticked off.

_"What trouble did you got into this time?"_ Gray sat beside her and pats Lucy's head.

_"Let's hope she wakes up soon."_ Erza finished cleaning up Lucy. "Now, all of you get out! I'll change her clothes!"

They all ate breakfast in the room. While they were eating, they heard noises of beating hammers and saws cutting woods on the ceiling. They really thought they were the only ones in left the manor. Perhaps, they were the ones who hurt Lucy or they must at least know what happened. Erza and Gray stopped eating and decided to look for the people who are causing those noises. Natsu left as well to get some water from the kitchen and Happy stayed with Lucy until she wakes up.

THIRD FLOOR - CORRIDOR

Gray's POV

We went up the third floor and the noise is starting to fade. The map is unreliable. Some rooms are named wrong in the map. The observatory was replaced by a huge library. The electrical room became a bedroom. The storage room turned into another library. Erza compared my map to hers. Nothing is different. She draws her own map at the back of the original one. The noise from workers stopped. We never saw them or the place where they were working. We went inside a room filled with books and files, it sure looks like an ordinary library to me but Erza confirmed that this is the family's archive. We even saw the family tree of that arrogant kid on the wall. He was the last of his line. 'So, if he gets killed. That's the end of his egotistic lineage.' I mentally laughed deviously.

_"Hey, don't just stand there. Look for something useful here."_ Erza's being bossy again while browsing some books on the first shelf near the door.

_"Okay."_ I rolled my eyes.

There were so many bookshelves and file cabinets here. Lucy and Levi will surely love this place. I walked to the last one and looked for something 'useful'. On the top part of the shelves, there are many large scrolled papers. I opened them one by one. It's the blueprints of this manor. I considered them useful so I carried the blueprints with me. _"Maybe I should get Lucy something to read." _I mumbled while browsing some books. An hour has passed. I only got the blueprints and a diary some lady that lived here. Erza got a few books with her and some old newspapers. She got some history books of the manor and its origin.

I opened the door for her because her hands are full. As I opened it, she stepped outside and so I did. When I closed the door, I heard her dropped her books. She looks really shaken and shocked. I was about to taunt her about her sloppiness, but I realized why she was stunned. We're now outside the courtyard. The sky is dark. A cold wind passed by to us, snapping us out from delusion.

_"No way!"_ I turned around and opened the door behind me.

To my surprise, it's not the archive room that we came from. It's the corridor of the first floor.

_"What the hell did happen!?"_ I shouted in fear.

_"Gray, let's go back to my room."_ Erza picked the books quickly.

We're actually running back upstairs as fast as we can. We stopped in the front of the door of her bedroom, we are both catching our breath. We thought the room has changed too. I slowly opened the door and sighed contently at the sight of my friends. Erza is calmed as well. Lucy and Happy were inside, sleeping on the bed. Natsu is on the chair beside the bed, he's sleeping too. We stepped inside and the dragon slayer woke up. We told him everything about what happened.

*Not inside the Manor*

This room was very dark. Only the light from the monitors can be seen. The views of other monitors are shifting to many angles that show Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Erza and Happy. It appears that there's a lot of hidden surveillance lacrima inside the manor. A silhouette of a girl appeared in front of it. She starts to giggle.

_"That's really cute!"_

The little girl's eyes gazed upon Erza's expression in the monitor. It's the scene where she dropped the books earlier with Gray.


	10. Chapter 9: Inhabitant's Enigma

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

The clock strikes twelve at noon. The sound of the grandfather clock echoes throughout the manor, after that, a complete silence covered the whole manor again. The sky is covered with thick grey clouds. Within the manor, it's still very chilling. The workers never show up. They didn't make noise anymore. Looks like they are not inside the house anymore.

_"Say what!?" _Natsu yelled.

Natsu earned a smack on his head by Gray.

_"Shut it, Fiery Mouth Breather! Let them sleep!"_ Gray whisper-yelled.

_"But we all want her to wake up right?"_ Natsu held the throbbing pain behind his head.

_"Just shut up you two. Help me read these things."_ Erza pats the pile of books beside her.

They are all sitting on the floor while the celestial wizard and the little blue Exceed still sleeping on the bed. The ice-make mage is matching the blueprints and the map that they have acquired from the butler. The fire dragon slayer is having a hard time on reading the newspapers that the requip mage forced him to read, but he was just looking at the pictures.

Gray's POV

_"I see the manor was burned before and rebuild again."_ Natsu flipped the newpaper.

_"Yeah, it was in here too. Tragic… So many people have died."_ Erza murmured.

_"Erza, did you checked the bedrooms?"_ I asked, not taking my eyes off the blueprints of the second floor.

_"Yeah, I did. Why?"_ Erza stopped reading and stared at me.

_"Did you find a hidden door on the master's bedroom?"_ I lift one of my eyebrows as I met her eyes.

Erza closed her eyes and thought of it carefully. She remembered that Lucy is the one who checked that room thoroughly. She just checked it with a quick gaze when looking for Lucy earlier.

_"No, but Lucy did."_ Erza sighed.

I clicked my tongue because of disappointment. Erza was confused at me and so was Natsu. They both scooted on my side and looked at the blueprint of the manor. I pointed at the master's bedroom.

_"See? There's a hidden door there that leads down__—__here."_ I glided my forefinger all the way to the hidden cellar or basement or dungeon or whatever you want to call it. 'It's hidden for a reason, right?'

_"All right! Let's go bust some walls!"_ Natsu stands up.

_"Wait! It's dangerous if you go there alone. Don't you remember? The rooms are changing and we can't use our magic. Keep in mind our main objective here."_ Erza stands up too.

It really sounds strange, rooms are changing, we cannot use our magic, Lucy's hurt and we can't find the workers or whoever they are. I stood up as well and sat on bed beside Lucy. "Wake up soon. We have to get out of here and we need a smarty-pants to solve some mystery here." I whispered as I put the diary under her pillow.

Erza open up the door and checked if something has changed. She was right. Now, we're next to the master's bedroom, the corridor is gone. 'If it isn't just our luck.' Erza was stunned. The room is dark because of the closed curtains. Natsu was not shocked at all, but amazed. He just jogged inside the master's bedroom.

_"Don't close the door!"_ I carried a chair and put it beside the door. _"That should hold it. I think it changes when we close the door."_

_"I understand."_ Erza opened the royal blue curtains of the huge windows.

I took a quick glance on Lucy and Happy, still sleeping. I smiled and helped Erza on checking the walls. Natsu was searching using his dragon senses. The room is huge. There are three big windows on the across the wall. The king sized bed was unused. Of course, the arrogant noble kid isn't here to use it. It was placed at the left side of the room. At first look, there's nothing here but a huge room with some fancy furnitures inside. It's clean and everything is well-organized. Walls are covered with white floral designs on top of grayed jade background. The vanity is bigger than we have in our rooms and he has a side table with a dart board set at the left side of the bed. The floor is covered with velvet floral carpet. Everything is worth a lot of dime here.

Natsu went near the left side of the bed and sniffing against the wall. There was a blind spot corner when you're standing at the door because of the bed's columns and curtains. He leaned his ears on the angle of the wall and heard someone on the other side. The wall is too shallow and made of wood. Before he could even call us about what he has heard, the narrow wall collapsed. Natsu fall on the ground behind the bed's wall.

_"Natsu!"_ Erza and I yelled and ran towards Natsu.

_"Is this what you're looking for?"_ Natsu slumped on the stoned floor behind the wall. _"I smelled someone below, but it's really weak. I think he or she is really far below from here."_

There are stairs leading down to somewhere beneath the false wall. We dared not to venture it alone and powerless. We noticed that the room is a little darker. The sun is already setting. Erza opened the lights of the room so we can see well. The lights are not helpful for the false wall though. We still can't see the end of the stairs. The path is too narrow, only one person can walk through at a time. The stoned stairs is uneven, anyone could trip if you're not looking on the sound of hammers pounding and hacking saws has disturbed us again but this time it's really near.

_ "Let's find anything to light our way down first."_ I said.

The door where Lucy and Happy sleeps has closed forcibly. The chair I stucked there is gone. We run through the door and tried to open it. It was not locked but it won't open. We tried kicking our way in but the door won't budge open it was sealed shut. We shouted our friends' name but it looks like they cannot hear us from here.

_"Wait. Do you think…The house wants us to go down?"_ Erza said coldly.


	11. Chapter 10: Blood Stained Snow

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

ERZA'S ROOM

A young woman sat beside Lucy. Her skin tone is really pale, she has a long brown hair and auburn eyes that matches her charming face. She wears a burgundy dress with white apron. She smiled brightly and touched Lucy's face using her pale right hand.

_"Time to wake up, my lady."_ she cheerfully said and vanished through the air.

Lucy's POV

My eyes have opened as the door of Erza's room was brutally closed. I felt a bearable pain behind my head. I sat up slowly and noticed my little Exceed friend sleeping beside me. There's a decanter and empty glass on the side table. I reached for it and fill the glass with water. The water refreshed my dry throat. I stand up despite of the pain that I feel all over my body. I went near the door and switched open the lights.

I saw my bruised arm. In my shocked, I ran in front of the vanity set and saw my poor body. I wore my mini blue sleeveless coat with white chest-wrap, my navy blue skirt with white belt and a pair of black high socks. My visible skin has bruises and small scratches. My teary eyes are asking me what happened while I was asleep. I don't remember anything aside from drifting off to sleep beside Erza and I was wearing PJs, not this one.

_"Lucy! You're awake!"_ Happy flew and hugged me.

Both my eyes have opened wide with the sudden aggression of my little friend. I sat on the bed and put my blue cat friend on my lap.

_"We're all so worried about you. Where did look for some fish last night?"_ Happy asked.

_"What? I was sleeping. I just woke up, right?"_ I said cheerfully _"By the way, what happened to me? My whole body is aching."_

_"We looked for you all over the house because you've been missing since we woke up."_ Happy looks worried.

_"I swear I was just sleeping. I don't remember anything else."_ I patted the blue Exceed's head.

_"Okay… If you say so. Let's just wait for them. I think they can explain you better why you looked for a fish last night."_ Happy flew on the floor.

_"I didn't look for a fish last night! I was sleeping!"_ I was really annoyed by the fish thing and Happy just laughed at me.

We both ate our dinner in the bedroom. When I finished eating, I search Erza's bag for some painkillers. After taking some medicine, I lay down my aching body on the bed. The pillow feels uncomfortable like something hard is under it. I sat up and lifted my pillow. I found a small old notebook. The cover has old leather on it with a thin strap to hold it close. It looks a bit dusty and wrinkled. I opened the first page but I got disappointed for the first few pages are ripped off. The first entry on the journal is written back in 1860's. 'Wow, this is really really old.' I was amazed for this must be a very important journal to be kept for a century. I stood up and walked towards the bathroom carrying the journal with me.

_"Happy, I'm just gonna take a quick bath."_ I waved at the Exceed who keeps on jumping on the bed.

I just shook my head and smiled. I closed the door in the bathroom and flip the lights on. I really thought the kitchen incident will happen again. I twisted the faucet open on the tub to fill it with lukewarm water. I took off my clothes and fold it neatly near the counter of the bathroom sink.

(Censored Skip)

I began to read the first entry of the journal while she's on the bathtub. As I flipped the pages of the journal, I became horrified with the events happened inside this house. The owner of this diary was the wife of the first owner of this manor. When the construction of the house has began, one of the worker died here. He was pushed by his friend when they are arguing from the third floor. Unfortunately, the Lady who owns this diary saw the whole thing. The blood of the man was mixed with the foundation of the Manor. While the construction is ongoing, some of the workers in the house started disappearing mysteriously while working, but the chief of the workers didn't mind it at all. At 1861, the mansion has finished and a grand opening celebration was made. One of the guests went missing after the party. They search the whole mansion but he's nowhere to be found. Next month, the Lady of the Manor often gets lost in the mansion since it's really big. She ends up in the drawing room inside of her own chambers at the day of this entry. Few weeks later, some of the staffs in the mansion went missing and never came back. The lady of the house was worried about it so she sent letters to their family. She was devastated when she found out that they are all really missing. Next year, 1862, her first child was born. It was a healthy baby boy. Sadly, the one of the coachman died from being stomped by an angry horse during her labor. A month later, while carrying her child in the atrium, a maid had a heart attack while serving tea. In 1864, she got pregnant on her second child and everyone has rejoiced but she caught her husband making out with one of the maids. Her fury got best her, so she pushed him through the stained glass window together with his other woman. But their bodies were gone next morning. In 1865, his husband and her maid were still missing. She was nervous about it because she's the only one who knew that they are already dead. I stopped reading for this is too much for me already. I put a mark on the last entry that I read and closed it.

_"This must be a journal of deaths in this house, not the journal of her life." _I facepalmed due to exasperation.

I stepped out of the tub and dried myself with the soft towel I got from the bathroom counter. I wore my clothes again and checked myself on the mirror. The bruises do not hurt a lot anymore but it's quite an eyesore.

I walked inside the bedroom but Happy is not here anymore. Something is a little different. Erza's bag is gone and the bed is made. The last thing I remember is Happy is ruining the bed by jumping on it however this one is not even wrinkled.

_"Happy?"_ I looked for my little cat friend.

_"Come out Happy, I don't want to play hide and seek."_

The hours of darkness has come. The chilling sensation explains a lot when I walked towards the window. Small white flakes are swirling down from the dark sky. The gusts of wind makes the snowflakes dance more in the air. It makes me calm regardless of the fact that we are in a critical mission. My leisure time was disrupted by the person who bursts my door open.

MASTER'S BEDROOM

Natsu's POV

_"It was never a good idea to follow the 'ghost's instruction'."_ Gray exclaimed to Erza.

_"But what are we gonna do here then?"_ I'm really confused with everything.

While waiting for their suggestion, the door creaked open really slowly. The door we are forcing to open a minute ago was now wide open. The bedroom where we left Lucy and Happy is gone.

_"What the hell!?"_ Grey blurted out.

_"Come on! Let's get back to Lucy and Happy!"_ I yelled at them as I run through the door.

We all run through the corridor, we did not even bother to open up the lights. Erza said that this is the second floor corridor. We should be there by now, but the corridor is making us to run in circles. We keep on passing by the master's bedroom. 'How come we're running in circles when the path is straight?' My friends are falling behind so I stopped.

_"What the hell is going on here!?"_ I pointed at Gray.

_"How the hell I would know!?"_ Gray yelled back in frustration.

_"You've experienced this before, so you must know who it works!"_

_"All I know is that the rooms changes on its own! I didn't know that the corridors are included in changing!"_

_"Arguing isn't going to solve this problem. So shut it and listen to me." _Erza's catching her breath. _"Let's open up all the doors that we will passed by, maybe one of it is my room."_

_"And if it doesn't?"_ I asked being uncertain of it.

_"Let's just try, okay?"_ Erza sighed.

We did open every door that we see but it didn't work. We ended up on the rooms that we should not be. I hate this. We have to find Lucy and Happy. What if we're lost here forever like the maids here before? Damn!

_"It's snowing."_ Gray said looking outside the window. He's goddamn naked again.

_"Let's go in here."_ Erza went inside one of the rooms and we followed her.

As we walked inside, I noticed that this bathroom seems familiar and it looks like somebody has used it just now. 'This is Erza's bathroom!'

_"All right! I hope this works."_ Erza closed the door behind us and waited for a minute.

She opened the door slowly as she peeks inside the room. It worked. I don't care how, but it really worked. I ran inside the room like nothing really did happen.

_"Lucy! Happy! We're back!"_ I chimed in.

My Exceed best friend is sitting on the bed on his own. He's so dumbfounded when he saw us came out of the bathroom.

_"Wow, Lucy is really kind to you. She did not yell at you when you went inside the bathroom when she was taking a bath."_ Happy said.

_"Lucy took a bath and she closed the door!?"_ Gray asked loudly at Happy.

_"Hey! Don't you yell at Happy!"_ I shouted at him.

_"Of course, she'll close the door for privacy Gray and where are your clothes?"_ Erza scolded Gray and made him panicked over his missing shirt.

_"Lucy said she'll take a 'quick' bath."_ Happy said.

_"So she just came out of the bathroom, it's still warm in there."_ Erza stated and thinks more of some facts.

_"Wait here."_ I went outside the bedroom and surprisingly, Erza's room is back in second floor corridor. Which means, Lucy's bedroom would be next to here. I kicked the door open on Lucy's room and there she is standing by the window.

_"Luce!"_ I ran towards her and grabbed her into hug.

_"Natsu? What happened? Where did you all go? And where's Happy?"_ Lucy is so confused.

_"I'm glad you're all right Lucy."_ Erza's standing on the doorway with Gray.

ERZA'S BEDROOM

No one's POV

The snowfall has not yet stopped. All the white flakes are falling with style, gently lands on flurry floor. The blonde wizard is lost in the midst of the amusing snow, ignoring her friends' voice. The ice-make wizard pats her shoulder to get her attention. She dropped the journal as she came back to reality. What was she thinking?

_"Are you listening to us?"_ Gray sounds worried. He picked up the old journal and hands it to Lucy.

_"Yeah… I'm sorry."_ the blonde leans her back on the window.

_"Can you at least eat something? You need it for recovering."_ Erza concerned.

_"I already ate with Happy. I just want to know what happened to me."_ Lucy looks down while playing the strap of the notebook.

_"Lucy…"_ Gray breathed out and puts his white coat on Lucy. _"Come sit with us then."_ He pushed her gently towards the bed, making her to sit on the bed with them.

"We really didn't know what happened to you. You just went missing and when we found you're—" Erza was cut off.

_"So… Have you learned anything from that diary that I left you?"_ Gray smiled and seated next to her.

_"You're the one who put this under my pillow?"_ Lucy slipped her arms on the ice mage's coat. _"I haven't finished it yet but it's just a series of deaths and disappearance of the people who lived here before."_

_"Never mind that Luce. You're still not yourself. I really think you should rest."_ Natsu reached and touched Lucy's hand.

_"I'm fine. I wanna help you guys. Besides, I slept the whole day. I'm not tired at all." _Lucy smiled brightly.

_"So, we found a secret path on the rich kid's chambers. We will go there together. Again, no one should wander off alone."_ the requip mage jabbed her finger on her comrades.

_"Now!?"_ Natsu and Gray grunted.

_"Yes, now."_ Erza glared on them.

After a few arguments, they have decided to head out for the noble kid's bedroom. Luckily, the corridors have not changed yet. All they can hear on the hall is the steps they are making on the floor. The snowfall is still light however the temperature keeps on decreasing gradually. Erza got herself a furry jacket that she got from the cabinet on her room. On the other hand, Gray and Natsu don't need one because they're not really cold. Surprisingly, the ice mage is not stripping, he still wears his black spandex shirt and his pants.

They have reached the master's bedroom safe and sound. Nothing out of ordinary. No interruptions and no changes on happened their course, not until they have reached the bedroom. The wall that Natsu accidentally wrecked is already fixed. There's no sign that it was repaired, the corner of the wall looks brand new. The fire dragon slayer's mind is really confused and starts to smash the wall with his bare fists.

_"I…already…crashed…you!"_ Natsu keeps on punching the wooden wall while yelling in between words.

_"Natsu…"_ Happy is worried about his best friend.

Gray helped his friend on taking down the fixed wall, but it did not even cracked. Erza taps both Natsu's and Gray's shoulder. She shook her head when they shifted their eyes on her and they stopped damaging the wall.

_"Our strength has been worn-out as well, save your energy. Let's just find some axe to break that thing."_ Erza said nonchalantly.

The scarlet-haired woman breaks their team into two. Natsu, Erza and Happy are the first group, on the second group, there's Gray and Lucy. They left the master's bedroom and left the bedroom's door open.

A couple of minutes later, a little girl appeared inside the room and slammed the door closed. She fades in the air as her giggles echoes the corridor.

Lucy and Gray reached the two-way doors of the courtyard. The raven-haired mage flipped the switch open beside the door and the wall posts outside the courtyard lit up. He knows that Lucy would be happy to see the elegant fountain.

_"Seriously Gray, I don't want to die in cold."_ Lucy stepped back, thinking how cold it will be outside.

_"Tch, don't be such a baby. You already have my coat. We're not staying outside for a very long time."_ Gray puts his left arm over Lucy's shoulder. _"Besides, it already stopped snowing." _and he forced her to go outside when he opens the wooden glass door.

Everything is quiet and calm. When they breathe, the warm air becomes visible as they exhaled. They walked like a couple on a date. Lucy stopped for a while in the front of the fountain and leaned, but Gray pulled her gently and walked all the way to the other end of the courtyard until they reached the maze garden.

_"I don't want to go in there."_ the blonde trembled at the sight of the tall bushes of the maze garden.

_"Silly, we're not going there."_ the ice mage released his friend from his grasp. _"We're going there."_ Gray points at the small cottage not far of the maze.

The cottage has no light in it. Good thing Gray brought a lighter and lit the candles inside. It helped them to see the whole room. The cottage is filled with gardening tools.

_"Are you sure they have an axe here?"_ Lucy said holding her both arms.

_"Of course, this is where they keep it. I don't know where Natsu and Erza are going to look for it."_ Gray keeps on searching the shelves and trunks inside the cottage.

Lucy smiled and helped her friend. Not a moment later, they found what they have been looking for. Lucy puts out the light of the candles and runs outside the cottage. Gray carried the axe with him as he walked out the doorway. He chuckled when saw Lucy shivering and breathing a warm air on her hands.

_"Come on. Erza will kill me if you got sick because of me."_ he puts his arm around Lucy's shoulders again.

While walking on the courtyard, Lucy paused again at the fountain. She intertwined her hands in front of her face and prays while clenching her eyes tight. Gray just watched her and did not interrupt. Lucy then tosses a coin in the fountain and smiled at Gray.

_"What'd you wished for?"_ Gray asked and started to walk with Lucy.

_"It's a secret! You shouldn't tell anyone your wish otherwise it will not come true."_ Lucy smiled brightly.

Gray nods and smiled back. He did not want to ruin his friend's mood. Lucy gets lose on Gray's arm and run towards the two-way door.

_"It's freezing! Hurry up you slowpoke!"_ Lucy waved at Gray from the door.

Gray did not mind his friend's taunt and took his time on walking, but he heard someone whispering behind him.

_"Gray…"_

A voice of a woman was calling his name. He turns around but he did not see anything but a strong gust of wind came through him and it made the door close in front of Lucy.

_"Gray…"_

_"Show yourself coward!"_ Gray yelled at nothing and tightens his grip on the axe.

The wind becomes strong and lifts up some light snow on the ground. His eyes widen and his pupils constrict when he saw the snow was formed into a human figure. It was not just any other human figure, it was the image of his former teacher shaped from the snowflakes and wind. It walks towards him.

_"U-ul?"_ Gray stepped back slowly.

Lucy is thumping on the door while calling out her friend, but Gray can only the voice of his dead trainer.

_"You're not Ul!"_ he charged the axe he was carrying to the snowy figure.

The shape collapsed but it returns back to Ul's image. The snowy figure opens her red glowing eyes and shrieked in anger. A strong blizzard came to Gray and he flew backwards. He dropped the axe he was holding and hit his head on one of the columns in the veranda. Lucy is yelling on the other side of the door. She feels helpless at the sight of her injured friend. She keeps on barging the door, but it just won't open.

Gray tries to stand up but his sight is blurry. He just falls on the floor lightheaded and holds his throbbing head. When he sits up, the ghastly snow figure sends Gray another blizzard but this time it's not just Gray she was really aiming for. The icicles that formed on the ceilings of the veranda started to shake. When Gray heard the familiar jingling sounds above him, he knew what's going to happen but he was too late. As he lifts his head up the veranda, four icicles fall down on him randomly. The first one plunge on his stomach that made him cough blood. The second one falls on his chest. The third icicle thrust directly through his neck and pushed inside his throat and the last one stabs his right cheek causing his right eye to tear out blood. His blood trickled out his body and it stained the beautiful white snow beneath him. The snowy image vanished and the courtyard returns into a quiet and calm place.

Lucy screams and cries when she saw her friend fell down on the floor.

*Not in the Manor*

The biggest lacrima screen shows Gray's death scene. The silhouette of a cheerful girl touches the screen and looks behind her.

_"You're up."_ she gestured on a girl in her age behind her.

The other girl's silhouette bows politely and leaves the dark room.


	12. Chapter 11: Day 3-Woe for the First Soul

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

It's twelve past midnight. The three members of Fairytail still can't find an axe for the ghastly wall inside the master's bedroom. Instead, Erza found a sledgehammer leaning on the wall inside the pantry's meat room. She went inside the kitchen and calls the attention of her friends.

_"Guys, I didn't find an axe but this could still help."_ she raised the heavy sledgehammer proudly.

_"Cool!"_ Natsu chuckled and Erza handed him the huge mallet.

_"I wonder if Gray and Lucy could get the axe."_ she crossed her arms over her chest.

_"You could never trust Gray on finding—"_ Natsu was cut off by a faint scream.

_"What's wrong?"_ Happy asked his best friend.

_"Did you hear that?"_ Natsu seems troubled, his head keeps on shifting, sensing where the scream came from. _"Damn! It's Lucy!"_ he runs away with the sledgehammer and Happy follows the fire dragon slayer.

_"Hey, wait—"_ Erza saw something at the corner of her eyes.

She went near the window and she got a clear view of the courtyard. Her eyes slowly got enlarged when she saw Gray being killed. She saw everything, how the icicles stab his body, how he drew his last breath. Tears started to fall from her eyes as her trembling knees fails to support her from standing. She on the floor, crying for her dying friend.

_"…Why."_ is all that she can say from her sobs.

Natsu, on the other hand, reached her broken friend in front of the two-way doors of the courtyard. He dashed on his way to her.

_"Hey, Luce! What's—"_ he walked slowly when he smelled blood.

_"I…"_ Lucy sniffed, her tears keeps on leaking from her eyes.

Natsu was stunned when he saw Gray's body through the glass of the doors.

_"GRAY!"_ Natsu jiggled the doorknobs but it won't open.

Happy flew in and he also saw Gray's body lying outside the courtyard. He helped Natsu on the door. Lucy's cry grew louder when Natsu starts to curse the door for not opening. The little Exceed gives up and begins to cry as well. Natsu turned around and lift Happy to his arms. He knelt in front of the weeping celestial wizard. Tears started to form on his eyes but he manages to hold it off.

_"Lucy… Are you ok? What happened?"_ the dragon slayer hold his Lucy's damp and shaking hand.

_"I'm really sorry. I couldn't protect Gray. I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"_ Lucy just keeps on crying.

_"No, it's not your fault."_ Natsu hushed and hugged her along with Happy.

The celestial wizard released herself from the dragon slayer's arms. She runs away while whispering 'I'm sorry' constantly. Natsu and Happy chased after her. She went inside one of the rooms, before she could close the door, she felt the floor shaking and it collapsed.

_"Natsu!"_ Lucy screamed.

The Exceed was about to follow her down but the floor returns back to normal. They both shout Lucy's name and keeps on beating the floor.

_"We just lost Gray and now we lost Lucy too."_ Happy said with teary eyes.

_"Shh… Lucy's just missing, we'll find her. Let's get Erza first."_ Natsu lifts up his best friend.

KITCHEN

Natsu's POV

Good thing the room has not changed yet and Erza is still here. I wonder why she didn't follow us. We saw her sitting on the floor, leaning her back at the counter. Her eyes are swollen red. 'Does she know already?' I put Happy on the table and sits in front of Erza.

_"Gray…is…"_ I muttered. I just can't say it.

_"I know."_ Erza said in a very low tone and looks down to hide her eyes.

_"How did you—"_ I lift my head up and saw the window. _"I see… Listen, Lucy falls from a trap room. We should find her."_

Erza just nodded and stood up. I stand up as well and stared at her. I knew she'll come up with a plan on how to find Lucy but she just stand there quietly.

_"Let's get Gray first."_ she said and walks out of the room.

Happy and I followed her. We walked down through the corridor and reached the courtyard's main door. The sight of my dead friend's body aches my heart so much. Happy whimpers on my chest, so I tighten my hug on my little friend. Erza twisted the doorknobs but the doors did not open. I left the sledgehammer here by a mistake. 'Why didn't I use that before?' I got distracted too much by my friend's body and the tension here earlier is so high. I thought Erza will scold me for that but she didn't. She lifts it up and started to hit the glass on the door with all of her might. The glass on the door was crashed and the shattered pieces are scattered on the floor. She threw away the mallet and went through the hole in the door, ignoring the pieces of glass left on the frame. She had a few cuts on her arms and hands but it did not matter. She's way too focused on reaching Gray.

We came out of the hole too and Happy flew besides Gray's head and hugged him. I looked at Gray but I didn't stare at him for a long time. He died in severe pain, his eyes are still wide open and so was his mouth. The ices plunged through his body is still intact. I don't have the heart to pull it out of him. The snow under him is like a strawberry flavored snow cone. I went near him and closed his cold eyes. Erza could not hold it any longer and started to cry beside Gray. Knowing that our friend is really dead, it made the tears on my eyes fall endlessly.

BASEMENT – DARK CELL

Unknown's POV

I was sitting on the dusty floor with my little friend. Actually, my little friend here is sleeping. I think its midnight already. We've been in this filthy cell for one or two days. I can't remember. I sighed, thinking of my other friends who are looking for us. They must be having a hard time to find us. This prison must be in a secret place.

My thoughts were distracted by a screaming girl. I heard someone yelling Natsu's name in a distant. I stood up and went below the huge hole in the ceiling. It's really dark, I can't see through it. The scream becomes louder every second. I knew somebody is falling from there. I don't know how to catch her, I can't see where she will fall from the hole. I just relied on my ears, but I barely caught Her. She fell on my arms but I lost my balance and fell on my butt.

'Damn, did I catch an angel?' I thought to myself as I saw the blonde girl's sweet face. She lost her consciousness when I caught her. She somehow looks familiar, but the dark kept me from finding out. I lay her down and observed her. Thank God, she moved a little and saw her opened her eyes a little. I didn't talk, I don't want to startle her, but then I saw her right hand. I lift her hand gently I saw her insignia. She's a member of a guild.

_"Fairytail."_ I breathe out.

I looked at her eyes and she doze off. I took off my red coat and fold it neatly. I hover on her while I put my coat under her head.

_"Who's that?"_ my little friend woke up, rubbing his eyes and walked towards the Fairytail wizard.

I did not answer and sat beside the sleeping girl. I started to search on her boots, then her clothes and pockets.

_"You're a pervert."_ my friend stared at me.

_"I am not! I just want to see if she has something that can get us out of here."_ I defended.

The little guy shuddered, went beside the girl's head and sleeps. As for me, I kept on searching. I found Celestial keys on her belt. 'So you're a Celestial Mage.' I thought to pull a prank on her and hide her keys but this is not a good time to do that. I accidentally touched her thigh when I'm returning her keys on her belt. It made my nose bleed a little, but I stopped my nonsense thought when I realized she's cold. 'Is it cold?' My bare topless body didn't feel a lot of cold though. I continued my search on her and found a leather notebook in her coat's breast pocket. I just 'borrowed' it and zipped her white coat. 'Is that even hers? Its way too big for her' I thought.

I lean my back on the steel bars where I can see the notes better. The torch only lights up a partial part of this prison. From there I started to read the old notebook.


	13. Chapter 12: Paranoia

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

COURTYARD

Natsu's POV

_"We can't leave him here."_ Erza said after crying a lot.

She kneeled in front of Gray and grips the icicle in his stomach. She breathes in and pulled the icicle out. Gray's blood squirted on Erza's white blouse. I carried Happy and covered his eyes. Erza did the same for the other icicles but when she was about to pull the fourth one, she runs away and threw up in the corner. After a while she came back and pulled the last one. We covered Gray's dead body with white cloth. We carried him all the way behind the cottage and buried him there.

_"Erza we have to find Lucy."_ I grabbed her shoulder.

_"Yeah…"_ Erza said.

We walked slowly until we reached the main door of the courtyard. I'm worried about Erza. It's not like she's just sad about Gray's death. She had these really deep thoughts about something. The doors can be open now. She just went inside, I let Happy fly and follow Erza. I picked up Gray's axe and the sledgehammer and went inside as well.

We just followed Erza all the way to the master's bedroom. Everything is normal, no unexpected changes. My friends are so quiet. I would like to cheer them up but I couldn't think of anything because I'm depressed too. I wish we could find Lucy now. I really think that she could make us happy again. I lost in my thoughts but Erza cut me off.

_"The axe."_ I just handed her Gray's axe and she began to hit the wall with it.

She made a hole in the narrow wall. It's big enough for a person to pass through. Erza gave me one of the candlesticks that she found earlier and lights it up. We left the axe and mallet inside the bedroom and slowly climbed down the straight uneven stoned stairs.

BASEMENT – DARK CELL

Unknown's POV

_"Tch… What a load of crap!"_ I closed the old journal by clapping on both of its cover together.

I wasted hours on reading a stupid, useless notebook. 'Like I have anything better to do.' I sighed and put the journal down. I got a little hungry so I have to get myself a little food.

_"Snack!"_ I said and paper bag popped out of nowhere.

So, I've got some chips, wrapped BLT, a couple of wrapped hamburgers, some juice boxs and a bottle of water. I unwrapped the hamburger and started eating. I watched Blondie and my friend sleep while eating. 'I hope they wake up soon.' Looks like the fairy heard me and sat up. I finished my burger with one big bite and search the bag for the bottled water. I crawled towards her.

_"Stay down."_ I said to her as I twisted the cap of the bottle for her. "Here." I lift up her head a little so she can drink.

_"Are you feeling okay now?"_ I asked politely.

She just nods and all of a sudden, she tearing her eyes out. 'What the… What did I do wrong?' My friend heard Blondie's sob and woke up too.

_"Sting, what did you do now?"_ my Exceed scolded me.

_"I didn't do anything. Since she got here, I've been kind and gentle to her."_ I defended myself.

_"…Sting?"_ the blonde said doubtfully.

Well, I'm not surprised. I'm pretty famous so this girl might be a fangirl of mine. I'm mentally laughed.

_"You knew him Lady?"_ the Red Exceed asked.

_"You're Sting of Sabertooth?"_ she asked and sat up again.

_"Yeah! The Great and Almighty Sting Eucliffe. So, what does a Fairy like you doing in a dangerous place like this?"_ I sneered. I see her mouthed the word "Jerk" but I ignored her.

_"I was on a mission with Team Natsu and—"_

_"Hold it. Natsu's here?"_ I sounded like a fan girl of Natsu.

_"Yeah, I was just with him before…"_ the blonde cried again.

_"Oh come on, don't cry. By the way, this is my Exceed, Lector."_

_"Yo!"_ Lector waved at her.

_"I'm…Lucy Heartfilia."_ she wiped her tears and hold out her hand for a shake.

_"Sting, does not do handshakes with a commoner."_ Lector crossed his arms over his chest.

_"Ohh…"_ she slowly pulled away her hand but I grabbed it.

_"It's nice to meet you."_ I said delightfully. Lector clucked his tongue and went towards the paper bag.

_"Here."_ she's giving me back my red coat.

_"So, what happened?"_ I let her tell the whole story while shaking the dust off from my coat.

Lector and I finished eating everything inside the bag while Lucy keeps on talking. The bag just disappeared when the Fairy finished drinking the bottled water. Lector suddenly falls asleep. When the death of her friend takes place in her story. She started to cry again but she kept on telling me everything.

_"I can't face my friends knowing that I did nothing to save Gray…"_ she sobbed.

_"So… Is this Gray your boyfriend? You sounded like you're pretty close—"_ I was cut off by Lucy.

_"He's not my boyfriend."_

_"It's just so ironic that an Ice-Make Wizard will actually die in ice."_ I chuckled.

_"It's not funny. Be serious about this!"_ she yelled at me with tears in her eyes.

_"Okay, okay. Time get serious…"_ I sighed. _"First of, we didn't know that two guilds are requested for this mission. Second, we were about to leave this God forsaken place but we saw ruin magic built all around the estate. It's keeping us for here for seven days and it's suppressing our magic unless you're not a human wizard like the Exceeds. We got separated because of my stubbornness. We've been in this cell for 1 to 2 days. Oh and by the way, the rooms aren't changing, they're shifting their places."_

_"Wow… You knew a lot of information about this place. I wonder why we haven't met inside the manor… Well, have you figured out how to get out of here?"_

_"Nope. Maybe you're all inside the Manor at that time. Most of the time, we're outside, trying to figure out how to get out of this place."_

_"Ohh… Did you experience some unusual things?"_

_"Yep, I had one on our first night here. I can't sleep at night so I went outside and walked throughout the corridor without direction. I heard some loud thumps on the stairs. I went over the entrance hall but I didn't see anyone in there. I went back and saw someone sitting by the opened window at the end of the corridor. It's a ghastly figure of a human with long dark red hair with a red vest on its arms. Its creepy face is smiling at me, showing me its sharp teeth. Red aura surrounds it and then—"_

The torch suddenly went out and we all stand up. I can't see anything I search for Lector and carried him. We're all panting.

_"Lucy, where are you?"_ I whispered.

_"Sting…"_ she sounds like she's about to cry again.

I followed her voice and I found her hand, but I have doubts about it. I've got to make sure it her so I slide my hand upwards all the way to her hair and cheek. Out of the blue, she just pinched my hand.

_"Ow!"_

_"What the hell are you doing!?"_ she yelled at me in a hushed tone.

'It's her alright.' I laughed mentally and I felt Lector is trembling on my arms. I tighten my hold onto him and pulled Lucy behind me. A sound of moving chains started to come near our cell. We stepped back until we reached the wall. My heart beats fast like it wants to get out of my chest. I can almost hear it pump.


	14. Chapter 13: Death Scare

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

BASEMENT – DARK CELL

Lucy's POV

Its pitch black everywhere, I can't even see a small light reflection from anything. I'm literally shivering now, not because of the cold weather, but the rattling of chains has stopped and the creature who is using it is breathing heavily. I can hear it clearly. Sting and Lector are with me but I'm still scared.

A loud moving of gears and metallic sound has disturbed the silence that surrounds us. Our cell's tarnished steel bars have been open. I gripped Sting's coat when the creature started to walk towards. My heart pounds hard and fast. Every second, the rattling sound becomes louder and nearer. It's almost in front of us now. Sting swiftly turns around, gives me Lector and he put his arms around us. He's squeezing us every time the chain rattles. I hid my face below his neck. I can feel the fast beating of his heart from his bare chest. Lector is clawing my arms in terror and I tighten my hold on him, there's too much tension in the atmosphere. I can't take it anymore and my tears flow down my face unintentionally. The rattling sound stopped and now, the creature is right behind Sting. I can hear its hoarse heavy breathing and its presence is really horrifying, it gave me goosebumps. 'Is this it? Am I going to die with two strangers with me?'

_"I'm sorry Lector…Lucy."_ Sting squeezed us more.

I felt his tears fall on my head. That's that, I think we all accepted our fate. I put up a weary smile and leans on Sting. We're just waiting for our…time.

After a while, the presence of the creature is fades until it's gone. The torch outside our cell has lit up. The steel bars are gone. We're already free to go, but I think Sting did not notice the light. I tilted my head up. I saw his eyes are still shut, he's gritting his teeth and keeps on squeezing us.

_"Sting. It's gone."_ I said softly and lightly shook his right arm.

He slowly opens his eyes and glance on me. I just put up my best smile, then he let's go of me. He quickly turns his back on me and wiped his face. I released Lector from my arm. I saw the old journal on the floor. The white dragon slayer saw me picking it up.

_"I 'borrowed' that from you when you were sleeping."_ he said while patting his Exceed.

I genuinely smiled at him as put the diary inside Gray's coat. Gray's coat… I remembered my friend who recently died because I couldn't help him. Tears are starting to form in my eyes again.

_"Hey, the Fairy is crying again."_ Lector complained to Sting.

I quickly shook my head and said, _"No, I'm not. It's just because…of the dust. It's making my eyes teary."_ I wiped the tears in my eyes.

_"Well then, let's go."_ Sting smirked.

I never like the idea that the bars are gone and we're now free. It's just way too bizarre, why the creature would keep us imprisoned here then lets us go after scaring us to death. We all walked outside and Sting carried the lighted torch. We all looked at the two dark paths on their way.

_"Which way shall we go?"_ Lector said.

_"Left!" "Right."_ Sting and I answered at the same time and we're both pointing at different direction.

Lector just broke out a sweat and sighed. Of course, I lost to narcissist and self-centered Sting. We all go to the left path. Anyone could lose here. We are constantly turning left when the path is splits into two. I was not hoping for Sting to lead us out, but I was wishing that we will never have to encounter 'that' dark creature on our way.

_"I remember now!"_ I looked at Sting. 'What is he talking about?'

_"You're that chic that Minerva crushed during the GMG!"_ he pointed a finger on me and smirked.

_"Geez, do you really have to bring that out?"_ I was really embarrassed.

He and Lector laughed for a while. While walking, the overconfident face of Sting is gone and the Exceed on my arms, Lector is worried for him.

_"Sorry guys, I was totally chickening out when we were in trouble earlier."_ Sting looks down. _"I feel useless and pathetic without my white dragon slayer magic."_

'So that's what this is all about.' I thought to myself. I would like to cheer him up but Lector's reflexes are faster than mine.

_"Don't be feel bad about it Sting. You already protected us by thinking of us first!"_ he smiled his friend. I nodded.

_"Yeah, thank you for that Sting."_ I put up my best smile for him and he smiled a little.

We reached a rusty metal door at the end of the path. We all smelled an awful scent. It was coming from the other side of the door. I really don't want it to be opened, but Sting is just as reckless as Natsu and opens up the heavy metal door. We all covered our nose.

The stench scent was there for a reason. I would never want to step inside that disgusting room. The room was lighted up by the old ceiling lamp, sometimes it's flickering. The floor was flooded with ankle-length blood. The wall was stained with splattered blood with a little flesh sticking on it. I don't know if those internal organs scattered all around the room are human innards and I don't want to know! There was this rusty and old chair with bloody leather straps in the middle of the room and some unidentified organs are sitting there, the flies are going crazy about the rotting meat. I throw up beside the wall because of the gruesome view.

Lector fainted on my arms. Sting closed the door a little and looked at me in my eyes like he knows I don't want to go in there.

_"I saw another door in there. I'll go inside and see if it's a dead end or not. Stay here, okay?"_ he said and I nodded.

Sting went inside and tiptoed all throughout the room. I hold the door and waited for him. There's sunlight and stairs at the other side of the door. He looked back and smiled at me. He gestured me to follow him. I hold my breath while walking inside the disgusting room. I'm almost at the door suddenly, Sting pulled my arm from the doorway and closed it.

_"Come on, let's get out of here."_ Sting smirked while pulling me from my wrist.

On top of the stairs, there's a closed black gate. Sting immediately opens it and we just strolled out. We just laughed and Lector wakes up. It's just so disgusting that the stench odor was attached to our clothes and blood stained boots. The sun shines on top of us, but some dark clouds are trying to cover the nice weather. The area is covered with snow and I remembered Gray again. My triumphant aura is gone. I'm back to my misery again.

_"Looks like we're in the garden maze."_ Sting groaned.

I saw the tall bushes around us. 'So this is why it looks familiar. Great… More memories of Gray…' I sighed and followed Sting around the maze.

SECRET PASSAGE

Erza's POV

As we go further the air becomes thinner. It's been a while I guess since we started going down, I can't even see the hole that I made upstairs. I don't want to think about it but I can't stop remembering what I saw. I don't want to believe with my own eyes. I cleared my mind as I exaggeratedly breathe. Right now, finding Lucy and completing this mission is more important than anything else. It's what would Gray want us to do. My feet picked up its pace and Natsu did the same.

We reached the end of the stairs and saw an old wooden door. I touched the doorknob and slowly twist it. It was unlocked. I opened it a little and sneaked a peek. My swollen eyes widen and I gasped at the sight of the area.

_"What is it Erza?"_ Natsu and Happy peeked too, they made the same reactions as I did.


	15. Chapter 14: Momentarily Peace

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

SECRET PASSAGE

Erza's POV

_"You've got to be kidding me!"_ Natsu shouted and threw the old creaky door open.

_"The house is trolling us. It changed again."_ my hand rested on my face.

_"Aye!"_ Happy chimed in.

In front of us is the bright environment of the frozen garden in front of the Manor. It's a total waste. Everything is covered with snow. What more disappointing is that we ended up in the wrong place again. We came out from an old shack beside the manor. The changing of rooms really sucks. We climbed down the stairs for a very long time. We can't possibly end up here. I cursed the mansion a thousand times in my head.

_"I'm tired Natsu."_ Happy complained.

_"Yeah, me too but we've got to fine Lucy."_ Natsu carried the little Exceed.

_"Let's take a break."_ I said to them.

_"But what about Lucy?"_ he whined.

_"She's gonna be fine."_ I just sighed and head for the main doors of the manor.

_"How would you know!?"_ he shouted.

_"She…"_ I paused. _"Have some faith on her, okay? She's not weak, you know."_ I replied.

I don't know if he followed me, but I headed back to my room. I thought I was going to be more disappointed. Good thing that my room has not changed. I crashed my body to my bed and thought of Gray. 'Why…' I just cried and drifted off to sleep. 

OUTSIDE ERZA'S BEDROOM

Natsu's POV

I sighed while looking at my sleeping friend on my arms. I can no longer hear her cry. She must be sleeping now. I went inside her room and put Happy beside her. 'I shouldn't rest until I find Lucy.' I picked up all the blueprints and I laid them all on the floor in order. Erza was right, we're not supposed to be there. I have to find a way to get into the cellar. I stood up, gathered all the blueprints and carried them with me.

_"I'm sorry."_ I mouthed before leaving the room.

I just have to find her. I really don't think Lucy as weak, but there's something wrong with this house. I don't even know where to start, I just decided to visit Gray's grave. It sounds weird and stupid. Gray was not supposed to die, because…he's Gray!

And here I was, sitting in front of the grave of my rival and my friend. I stared at his tombstone made of wood with his necklace hanging on it.

_"Hey, Gray… Don't go stripping anywhere up there."_ I looked up in the cloudy sky. _"You'll seriously scare off the angels."_ Ilaughed alone but I stopped after a while.

_"You know, Lucy is missing. Do you know where can we find her?"_ I sighed.

I felt stupid for waiting his answers. I just lay down my back on the fluffy snow behind me. I felt a little cold, it's like Gray is with me. 'Is that damn Ice Stripper trying to scare me?' I closed my eyes and calmed myself. I reminisced our 'bonding' when he was still living. All those arguments and fight, I smirked at those memories. Before I knew it, I was already asleep.

After a while, I was waked up by a disgusting smell. It's like a rotten meat. I sit up and pinched my nose. I hate my dragon sense when these things happened. I followed the smell even if it was not such a good idea. I ended up in the entrance of the maze garden. The sickened face that I have has been replaced by a warm happiness. I saw Lucy inside, walking and carrying a red Exceed, she was behind Sting. 'What the hell is he doing here?'

_"Luce!"_ I waved at her and she runs towards me.

_"Natsu!"_ she hugged me and I was revolted. 'What's that smell?'

_"Ohh, I'm sorry, we came from… Pfft, you really don't have to know, it's really disgusting there."_ she lets me go. _"Where's Erza and Happy?"_

_"Hey, Natsu!"_ Sting greeted me with a smirk.

_"They're back in her bedroom…"_ I shifted my glance to Sting and crossed my arms. _"And what are you doing here?" _I raised an eyebrow to him.

_"Well__—"_ Sting rubbed the back of his head.

_"Tch, I don't care."_ I shifted to my left.

_"I'm not even starting yet!"_ he yelled.

_"You should all get cleaned up first. You all stink."_ I scoffed. 

-TIME SKIP-

ERZA'S BEDROOM

Natsu, Happy and Erza had clothes pin on their noses. Veins started popped out on Sting's and Lector's head.

_"Is that really necessary!?"_ Sting yelled.

_"Yes, because all of you stinks."_ Erza talked through her nose.

_"Aye!"_ Happy raised his paw and he also talked through his nose.

_"Just wait for Lucy to finish her bath."_ Natsu said, it sounded like a barking Rottweiler.

_"She's been there for almost an hour!"_ Sting yelled again.

_"I am not!"_ Lucy shouted while in the shower.

The door in the bathroom is open and stuffed with a nightstand. No one wants to be shifted to other room. While waiting, Sting told them how much he knew about the manor. He asked the three if they have seen Rogue, but they didn't. Lucy, on the other hand, silently crying. She saw the pinkish pile of snow near the main doors of veranda earlier. She didn't know that Lector has sneaked inside the bathroom. She jolted when he spoke.

_"Psst… Sting said that you should stop crying and it's our turn to take a shower."_ Lector said in a low voice.

He did not remove the shower curtain of course. He sneaked back to the room and sat next to Sting. Lucy dried herself and put on a plain white shirt and white shorts and gets out of the bathroom. Sting and Lector showered together. Sting also wears a white shirt and a long white shorts. Their reeking clothes were disposed at the laundry chute in the corridor.

They all ate dinner inside the bedroom, but Erza and Lucy barely touched there food. The heater was warming them enough inside the room. No one has dared to leave the room, they don't want to suffer from Erza's wrath.

_"So what's your plan now?"_ Erza asked Sting while sitting on the bed. Happy was sleeping beside her, drooling.

_"After I find Rogue, we're gonna find a way to get out of here. We don't give a damn about the mission anymore."_ Sting replied while petting Lector's head. He's sitting on the floor with his sleeping Exceed on his arms.

_"That's lame."_ Natsu mocked. He's sitting on the floor too. Sting clucked his tongue.

_"Natsu, I've been thinking about it. I don't want you guys to get hurt."_ Erza looks at Lucy sitting on the window seat, watching the snowfall while clenching her keys. _"Let's help them and get out of this place."_

"What!?" Natsu exclaimed. 

*Not inside the Manor*

SUREVEILLANCE ROOM

_"That's sooooo boring!" _A silhouette of a girl with high pigtails is lazily watching the monitors. _"Do something about it!"_

_"Yes, my Lady."_ a tall man's silhouette appeared to his left.


	16. Chapter 15: Day 4 -Tragic Accident

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

ERZA'S BEDROOM

Sting's POV

The sunrise is almost at its peak, but the snowfall has not yet stopped. I woke up earlier than the Fairies. I carried my sleeping Exceed and walked quietly towards the door with my bare feet.

_"Oi, where do you think you're going?"_ Natsu whispered but I heard it clearly. He's not making a single move from the bed.

_"I'm worried about Rogue and Frosche."_ I whispered back and touched the doorknob.

_"Just wait a little more. They'll wake up soon and we will help you."_ he raised and sits on the bed.

_"I can't wait any longer."_ I swung the door open.

My jaw drops when I saw what's on the other side. I was really speechless. Natsu got up and runs besides me.

_"What are you__—__"_ Natsu was cut off by the view.

The whole corridor was rotated in ninety degrees. The walls have been replaced by the previous floor and ceiling, our door was placed on the ceiling-wall. The wall with windows is now on the ceiling. The floor became the walls with paintings and portraits. I was really confused and stunned while Natsu is so amazed and happy about it. I let Natsu carry Lector for a moment and I carefully stepped outside. I am now standing on the wall with huge paintings. Natsu was so delighted, he woke up the other Fairies.

Lector, Lucy and Happy also had my expression before, but Erza looks mad about this. 'Woke up from the wrong side of the bed, eh?' We all went outside and carefully walked throughout the wall without stepping on the antique portraits and paintings.

_"We should really get out of here."_ Erza snorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

She still wears her sleeveless blouse with Gray's blood under her fluffy coat. 'Gross… Well, that's my opinion. Don't get mad about it.' We reached the half landing stairs, it was rotated as well. In order to get to the first floor, we have to jump down on the wall where the platform of the stairs is attached then climb up on the remaining stairs towards the first floor. 'How the hell could this happen to a house?' But we still managed to do it, we all jumped down. Natsu carried Lucy when we jumped. 'Was she always that lazy?' and we climbed up easily on the remaining half stairs. When stepped on the first floor's ceiling, the gravity pulled our weight and fall on the floor.

_"Damn, the gravity is messed up too!"_ I grunted as I stood up and carried Lector.

_"No… It's back to normal."_ Erza dusted off her clothes.

It's true. We're now standing on the floor and not on the wall. Only the second floor has changed. We headed for the entrance hall and passed by the laundry room.

_"Hey, I want get my clothes first before we leave."_ Lucy broke out from her silence.

Erza nods and Lucy happily walked inside the room, but she yelped when she opened the lights. We saw that our clothes was washed, dried and neatly folded on the table. Both of our boots is on the table too, the bloody stain and smell was gone.

_"We're really not alone here…"_ Erza looks alerted.

_"I really don't think so."_ Natsu puts his hand behind his head. _"If there is really somebody else here, Sting and I would probably hear them already or at least, smell them."_

The requip mage was not convinced. Erza shifted her brown eyes to me.

_"How about in the dungeons?"_

_"Well, somebody scared us down there but it didn't smell like it was a human or some animal. There's nobody else there but me and Lector before Lucy fall from the hole."_ I explained.

_"Let's just get out of here."_ she sighed.

_"Wait! I'll just put on my clothes."_ Lucy whined.

Erza let out another sigh and pushed us all out of the room for Lucy to change, but leaved the door open. Natsu and Happy just started eating breakfast outside the room. Lector and I started eating as well. I didn't mean to overhear the girl's chat, but I think they're talking about the Ice-Make mage. Lucy was very quiet but Erza keeps on talking like "Do you want to talk about something?" and "Is there something bothering you?" By the time we finished eating, the girls went out of the room. Lucy walked out while hugging Gray's coat. 'Alright, it's my turn to change my clothes.'

-TIME SKIP-

OUTSIDE THE ENTRANCE HALL

No one's POV

The snowfall was light but everything is covered with snow. They all wanted to go the entrance of the estate so they can see the ruin barrier for themselves, except for Sting. He said he smells the scent of Rogue somewhere, but it's really faint. He runs away with Lector, not really caring if he left the Fairytail wizards behind, but they did follow him. Natsu also followed the smell but it was somehow strange.

Sting followed by Natsu turned at the corner of the Manor. The scent of Rogue becomes stronger and Frosche's scent lingers around this area. This side of the manor has trees, bushes and large boulders all over. They can't see anything other than the snow. The others reached them and helped on searching. They kept on shouting Rogue's and Frosche's name, but no has answered.

Lucy walked a little further and smells something bad. Not paying attention on her path, she suddenly trips on one of the exposed roots of the tree. She winced at the pain but while on the ground she noticed a little black cloth. Curiosity filled her mind and stood up. She picked up the small piece of cloth. While pulling it and realized that it's not just a piece of cloth, she pulled more and the snow collapsed from it. Her eyes widen in terror then she screams.

Her friends ran for her and saw her crying. In front of her was the body of the famous Shadow Dragon Slayer, one of the Twin Dragon Slayer of the Sabertooth, Rogue Cheney. His forehead was bashed on the sharp edge of the boulder. The blood on the boulder was already dry and the ground where his blood flowed was now covered with snow. His body is was facing down the ground.

_"Rogue!"_ Sting and Lector ran towards their lifeless friend.

Sting lifted up Rogue and flipped him. They were all horrified of his state. His face was all bloody and swelling. The left side of his head was deformed and his forehead was cracked open, you can see his damaged brain from his broken skull. His skin is turning a little bit of paled green.

_"No. No... No... No! NO!"_ Sting held Rogue close to him and cried, Lector was crying too.

Happy's eyes was filled with tears, he was comforted by Natsu on his arms. Lucy turned to her back and continues to weep. Erza and Natsu just hide their eyes.

_"He's…"_ Erza was searching for the right words how she would say it. _"He's been gone for about…almost two days… I think he slipped from the tree. I'm sorry." _she covered Rogue's cold face with her handkerchief.

Sting's deep blue eyes lifted and saw the broken branch on the tree then his eyes fell at the bottom of the tree. He saw a familiar figure sitting under it.

"No… No, not you too!" Sting slowly lay down his best friend's body and ran towards the withered tree.

He lifted up a small stone-like figure and removed the snow from it. It was Frosche, Rogue's partner and Exceed. He was frozen to death. Sting hugged the stiffed Exceed and yelled in anger and despair. Both Lector and Sting cried harder. Unexpectedly, the white dragon slayer stood up while carrying a deceased friend.

_"H-help me, bury them."_ he croaked.

-TIME SKIP-

BACK OF THE COTTAGE

It was late in the afternoon. They are all sitting on the ground around their three friends' graves. The Exceeds were sleeping, they're both exhausted from crying. As for others, they remained silent, but Sting broke it.

_"Stupid Rogue, what was he doing there anyway…"_ Sting chuckled sadly.

They all just listen to him and did not say anything.

_"Poor Frosche, I think he thought that Rogue was sleeping and waited for him to wake up."_ he started to cry again. _"If I haven't been so stubborn, we would be already by the guild now and choosing our next mission on the board." _then he punched the ground.

_"It's not your fault Sting…" _Lucy said softly.

_"It's the goddamn house's fault!"_ Natsu shouted.

_"Let's just leave immediately. They should've put this on Class-S missions."_ Erza stated firmly.

Sting stood up and went inside the cottage. After a minute, he came out carrying two containers of gasoline and head for the Manor.

_"Oi, Sting!"_ Natsu yelled at him.

_"What are you gonna do?"_ Erza stand up and followed Sting.

He looks back _"I'm gonna burn this one hell of a mansion."_ his eyes were burning with rage.


	17. Chapter 16: With The Unknown Creatures

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Meddling with Unknown Creatures**

_"Are you seriously out of your mind!?"_ Erza grabbed Sting's shoulder.

_"No! Are YOU seriously out of YOUR mind! This stupid house killed my friends and it also killed yours!"_ he shoved the Requip mage's hand and continued to walk.

Erza clenched both of her hands. Natsu's ears twitched on what he has heard.

_"Burning that house won't bring our friends back!"_ Natsu shouted.

It disturbed the sleeping Exceeds on the arms of the Celestial mage. Sting stopped walking and tightens his hold on the containers.

_"And…"_ Natsu continued. _"Burning that house won't even let us leave this place for another 3 days!"_

Sting dropped the containers and his red Exceed flew to him. He falls on his knees and cried on Lector. The Fairytail wizards was somehow relieved and decided to carry on what they were supposed to do when they came out of the Manor's main entrance.

-TIME SKIP-

MAIN ROAD OF THE ESTATE

For all the wizards who stepped inside this estate.

Once inside, you are not allowed to leave unless you stayed here for more than a hundred and sixty-eight hours.

Physical strength will diminish during your stay.

You are not allowed to use magic once you stepped inside the Manor for the whole allotted time stated above.

….

_"It looks just like Freed's Dark Ecriture…"_ Erza looked closely.

_"You know who made that barrier?"_ Sting asked rudely.

_"We knew someone who could make one. Anyone who stepped inside the barriers should abide by the rules, otherwise, he or she could not get out of the ruins."_ Erza crossed her arms. _"The ruins last depending on the caster's magic capacity."_

_"He must be more powerful than Freed." _Natsu laughed.

_"I wonder what the 3 small dots below are…"_ Lucy examined the ruins more.

_"Nothing, of course."_ Sting said proudly.

_ "Yeah! Sting is always right!"_ Lector said.

_ "A Design."_ Erza said in poker face.

_"Stones!"_ Natsu smirked.

_ "Fish!"_ Happy drooled.

Lucy just facepalmed and concentrated on the rules. She copied the scripture in the old journal that she had. Since the snowfall is getting heavy and it will be dark soon, they are forced to return to the Manor.

By the time they stepped inside the enormous house, the lights were already opened. Everything is in order once again. No shifting. No rotating. Everyone is having a small talk. Not a single frightening sensation until they heard someone howling upstairs. They all follow the sound and ran through the corridor.

The lights started to flick and die, one by one. Everyone looks frightened and gasped as all of the lights went out. They are all succumbed to complete darkness, but their eyes started to get used in the dark. The quietness of the corridor was disturbed by a two light thump. The two dragon slayers sensed that somebody was with them. It was not a human, neither an animal. It was something else, the scent is foreign to them. Their concentration was transferred to the whimpers of their Exceeds.

"Sting!" "N-natsu!"

A candlestick was lit up. Erza got it from a small table near the huge painting, like everything was planned. Unfortunately, the two little Exceeds are gone. Vanished along with the presence of an unknown creature. A loud sound of the generator shutting down has made the Celestial wizard heart jump. Not a moment later, the cold began to find their way to the wizards. Now that the heater is off, the weather will be one of their enemies now.

_"I have to find Happy!"_ Natsu get himself a candlestick from the table and have it light up with Erza's candle. He just runs away.

_"Natsu! We shouldn't be separated! Damn it!"_ the Requip mage grunted and chased the hard-headed Fire Dragon Slayer. She looked back and yelled, _"We'll be right back! Don't go anywhere!"_

The last words of the Titania made the White Dragon Slayer popped a vein on his head. He got himself a candle and lit it up with the matches.

_"Did she really expect me to do nothing while my Exceed was taken from me?"_ he scoffed and went the opposite way.

Lucy does not want to be alone so she followed Sting and to the shadows they set off.

SECOND FLOOR – DARK CORRIDOR

Sting POV

'Tch, who does she think she is!? She can't order me like that around! I'm the Great and Almighty Sting!' I didn't noticed that Lucy was following me. I kept on muttering to myself. 'I lost my partner and no one can stop me from finding him!'

_"Oh, Erza did not mean to stop you. She just wants us to be safe."_ Lucy said in a low tone.

I was startled at her. 'Did I think that out loud? Never mind, I have to focus on finding Lector.'

A long awkward silence and a long determined search is a worse combination, especially in eerie ambiance. I got tired of Lucy's quietness. I know her to be one of the loud persons in Fairytail, but now she's just like a winded doll following me. I stole a few glances on my back. The Celestial Wizard is looking on the floor while walking.

_"Why are you following me? I don't like being followed."_ I was just trying to taunt her.

_"I'm sorry."_ she replied sadly.

'Great, I made it worse.' I stopped walking and she stopped too. She confusedly looks at me. I just wore my signature smirk and made a gesture to come near me.

_"Start studying the ruins that you copied. As soon as we find our Exceeds, we'll leave this cursed place."_ I started to walk.

Without any word or complains, she just walked beside me and started to examine the note on the old journal. 'There's got to be a loop hole. There must be.'

_"Are you following Lector's scent?"_ Lucy asked gloomy, I almost jumped when she talked.

_"Y-yeah…"_

Another awkward silence held us. The temperature keeps on decreasing. Blondie here looks exhausted with the sudden drop of the temperature. 'Of all the time that the generator will shut down... Lector must be cold too. Damn!' I hissed unconsciously.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked sternly.

Her eyes look weary, she must have cried a lot. I just shook my head. A small maniac laugh eloped behind our backs. It sent chills to my spine. It made us turn on our backs, but we saw no one. On a further look into the darkness, I saw something familiar. A ghastly figure with a dim red aura was ascending from the darkness. Little by little, I've come to recollect that image. It's the same figure that haunts me on our first night here. Those red eyes… Red long hair…

-FLASHBACK-

FIRST FLOOR – STING'S BEDROOM

I kept on tossing and turning on my bed but it was no use, I can't sleep. I saw Lector sleeping, I don't want to wake him up with my sleeping problem so I left the room. I heard some loud thumps from the entrance hall, it's like someone's falling from the stairs. I went there but I didn't see anyone. I stayed for a few minutes, but no one came. No servants or noblemen appeared. 'Was I imagining things?'

I walked aimlessly to the corridors and my feet lead me near the courtyard. The corridor's light was out, but the windows somehow gave light to my way. A few windows ahead, I saw someone sitting by the opened window. It doesn't smell like a human even if it has a human figure, but with a very dark entity. It has a long dark red hair, its creepy distorted face was grinning at me, showing me those sharp teeth. It suddenly licks the corner of its mouth. It made me chill, and stepped back a few inches. I clenched my fists when it stood up revealing the huge scythe-like blade floating behind him. I saw blood trickling down the blade and drops on the floor staining the expensive carpet.

_"Who are you?"_ I asked rudely, I think.

No answer, just a little menacing laugh, then it started to glide towards me. It's not walking, it doesn't have legs, just black aura underneath him. A dim red aura appears as it pick up its pace. Its red eyes grew hungry of what? …my blood? …my flesh? I unconsciously stand up with my battle stance.

"White Dragon—"

"Watch out!" Rogue pushed me down to the floor.

-FLASHBACK END-

"Sting!" Lucy snapped me back to this reality.

It's slowly moving towards us with its mad laughing like before. I sense that its presence is a threat so I grabbed Lucy's wrist and run away. I don't know where but it's not safe here. The light on the candle went out as we run. The ghastly figure picked up its pace and laughed louder with malice. I looked back and it's gaining on us.

There's an opened door right ahead and we went through it. I felt a very cold push behind me when I shut the door. I swear I stopped breathing until its creepy laugh was gone.

Good thing I brought the matches with me. I lit up the candlestick I was holding.

"Looks like we're in the Billiard Room." I smirked.

My eyes turns to Lucy, she looks freezing. 'What do I do!? Natsu will kill me if she freezes to death… Wait, I don't think it would happen, she won't die! I can provide and protect. After all, I'm the Great and Almi—' I was cut off by Blondie's cough. 'Yeah I'm a Blonde too. I know, I've heard.'

I helped her to seat on a single couch near the billiard table. She whispered 'thank you' as she seats down. I feel crushed when I don't smell Lector's scent anymore. 'Please be alright…' I looked around the room and saw some unlit candles in candleholders. I lighted them up. I think it could warm up the room a little.

My eyes grew wide as I heard a scream. I thought it was Lucy so I quickly turned around. My eyes grew even wider and my jaw drops. A pair of red eyes tearing out blood was in front of my face, I can't take my eyes away from that frightening stare, but it disappears when I blinked my eyes a couple of times. What I'm seeing now is Lucy, who falls asleep in the couch.

_"This is gonna be a long night."_ I whispered as I rest my hand on my face.

The grandfather clock alarmed everyone inside the manor. It's already midnight.


	18. Chapter 17: Dolls and Trolls

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

SECOND FLOOR – DARK CORRIDOR

Erza's POV

_"Come on Natsu. Don't make me get tired of chasing you… I'm gonna break your bones."_ sounds convincing enough for me, but he keeps on running.

The dark corridor doesn't bother me. It's just the cold is starting to worn me out. Natsu keeps on running. I'm worried about Happy as well, but I don't want to rescue him recklessly, he might get hurt. Happy's scent led us to the Master's Bedroom, Natsu furiously open the door and ran inside. Now I know where he went, I stopped and caught my breath for a minute but my heart beats a lot faster. A mysterious fog was crawling throughout the floor. 'Where is this all coming from?'

(A non audible giggling little girl appeared behind Erza.)

I felt a cold presence behind me, but when I turned my head and looked at the corner of my eye, there nothing there. I swear, someone was with me at that time. I felt really an ice cold touch on my right hand. Before I knew it, somebody pulled my hand for a couple of seconds. I was completely stunned and panting for no reason.

_"Who's there!? Show yourself!"_ I hugged my right to my chest.

My heart melted at the sight of a worried little girl. She walked out behind the opened door of the master's bedroom. I think she's about 4-6 years old. She has pale white skin and she also has long pale blonde hair. She's wearing an old green dress with ribbon laces and raffles. She was carrying a teddy bear with her. I'm a little worried since she's standing on her bare foot. 'She might get a cold. What is she doing here?' She was about to cry, noticed her eyes. I really thought I scolded her so I walked towards her and kneeled in front of her. I put my candlestick away.

_"I'm sorry I shouted at you. Are you lost? Where are your parents?"_ I asked softly.

Tears started to flow from her turquoise eyes. I cupped her face and rubbed away her tears with my thumbs. Everything went in a flash when she looked down. She held out her left hand and touched the side of the opened door. I felt her grin on my hands and she pushed the door closed with a full force. My eyes followed the closing door but it immediately returned to her, she was gone. I am now holding a small dirty skull.

I screamed a little while tossing the skull to the floor. I saw it rolls into the darkness as I stand up.

_"Can I play with you, big sister?"_ the little girl's voice has spoken from the darkness.

I picked up my lighted candle and ran inside the master's bedroom. My right hand was shaking a lot and felt really cold. I locked the door and tried to calm myself, but my heart just won't stop pounding fast. As I looked around, my eyes slowly widens in terror. 'This isn't the master's bedroom!'

_"You're so eager to play with me."_ the girl's voice is creeping to my ears as she giggles.

I tighten my grip on the candle holder as I looked around. 'It's…' The room was filled with dolls in all sizes, dressed in old fancy gowns and hats. There's a see-thru curtain on the bed and someone's lying there. 'It's her…' I slowly walked to the footer of the bed. I can't keep up with my heartbeat anymore. I felt everything else stopped on what I saw. A skeleton of a girl was lying on the bed, she was wearing exactly the same clothes like the girl outsi… 'It's her bedro—'

"It's my bedroom." the girl's giddy voice sounded so close, she was right behind me.

I turned around and saw her standing holding her hands up, trying to reach for me. My body can't move and my knees betrayed me. I fall on the floor, I just sat in front of her. She is coming right at me. 'Move!'

_"Don't be afraid my big sister. I just want to play."_ her voice deepens into another mature voice as she spoke the last words.

Tears starting to fill my eyes. 'Don't come near me!' I can't stop staring at her. I want to close my eyes but I can't, I can't even blink. She's right in front of me. Her face started to distort into a terrible look, she grinned widely, showing her drooling mouth.

She was about to touch me but she suddenly vanished on the air. The grandfather clock has alarmed, it's already midnight. I stood up by supporting myself with footer of the bed. The corpse is gone. I breathe out. I ran out of the room. 'Natsu might be in trouble too!'

*Not inside the Manor*

SURVEILLANCE ROOM

_"WHAT!?"_

The girl's silhouette was disappointed on when the ghost disappeared in front of Erza.

_"Why does it have to reset at midnight!?"_

She threw a small box on a tall man's silhouette and focused on another monitor.

SECRET PASSAGE

Natsu's POV

The grandfather clock echoes throughout the narrow passage. I tried to cover both of my ears as I go down the stairs while holding the candle.

_"Stupid clock!"_ I yelled.

A melted wax drops on my head and I jerked on the heat. I hissed and continued on climbing down. It was the same like before, but without Erza and Happy. I gritted my teeth as I remember what happened back there. 'I didn't even move to save Happy!' I scolded myself.

I reached the bottom of the stairs and now, I'm standing in front of an old wooden door. I can still smell Happy, but I can't smell Lector's scent. I kicked the door open. It looks like the dungeon that Sting was blabbing about. I thought it was just a story, I laughed to myself with a bit of nervousness.

_"Happy!"_ I shouted as I walked through the doorway.

The door on my back has closed. A faint chain rattling sound has replied to my answer, but my Exceed's scent was gone. I narrowed my view on the further end of the pathways. The cells near me are empty, but the noise keeps on getting louder. 'I both don't have my magic and strength. Happy's scent was not here. I don't see why I should stay here any longer.' I smiled a bit and slowly turned on my back and twist the doorknob. 'Phew, it's not locked.' When I open it, the door way was blocked up with bricks.

_"For crying out loud!"_ I yelled.

I shut the door close and alerted myself on the chain noise maker. There are two paths here, one in front of me and one to my right. 'Which way should I go?' The rattling sound was getting louder and my candle is almost dying. My dragon hearing senses is not really working because the noise is rumbling from both directions. 'Nice.' I smacked my forehead with my palm. I got irritated and I provoked the noise maker.

_"You sounded really big and heavy, you're so slow! Come out already!"_ I shouted.

The rattling sounds suddenly stops. 'Did I…pissed him o scared him off?' I narrowed my sight again in the front path. There's something shining in the dark and… It's coming right at me! I tried to jump and dodge it but it got my ankle. It was a very long chain. My left ankle is now bound with it. I released myself from the rusty chains.

A large foot was revealed from the darkness in the front path. It keeps on moving towards me. He was a really big fat guy, his skin was really pale. His face was deformed, he has no eyelids, it's causing his eyes to poke out, and he's browless and bald. The there are a lot of improper stitches all over his face and body, some of the stitches are ripped off, showing his fleshed muscles. His huge belly is very disturbing. It has a big horrible cut from his ribs down to his belly bottom, it was stitched a little but some of his entrails are hanging from the cut. There are flies flying over his bare flesh. 'How was he even living in that state?' I shook my head and faced the creature with all of my guts.

_"Great! Now, I'm all fired up!"_ I rushed to him and threw my foot to his face.

I hit him but it doesn't look like I damaged him at all. He growled louder and whipped me his chain. It was really a strong whip and it really hurt a lot that made my body fall on the floor. I rolled on the dusty floor and kept on wincing on the pain. I heard the rattling sound again. The chains crawl around me, preventing me from standing up. 'I feel so helpless.' My candle's life meets its end. 'Is it going to be the same with me?' I clutched my eyes close and think of a way to escape this terrible nightmare.


	19. Chapter 18: Day 5 - Unexpected Events

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

The chains that hold the Fire Dragon Slayer has tightened more and kept getting thick all over his body. The creature who's binding him keeps on growling. Natsu's eyes were still close.

Natsu's POV

While thinking of a reason why my life would end up by the hands of an ugly creature, I heard somebody opened the door. 'Is it his master?' It's walking towards me. I felt my heart was racing. I didn't move, I kept sensing its presence. I felt the chains around me are starting to be removed one by one. When I opened my eyes, I saw a light from a small candle. It was being carried by the Erza. The creature before me roared.

_"Don't sleep on the floor! Come on!"_ she evaded the chains coming at her.

She helped me get up as I was released from the chains. I almost choked when she pulled my scarf and ran on the opposite path. I didn't question her, I just followed her. The fat ugly creature looks upset, he ran after us. The ground is shaking with every step that he makes.

_"Don't look back."_ Erza puffed.

Erza saw a lighted torch and snatch it from the wall while tossing the candlestick away. The way looks all the same, there are cells everywhere. It's like we're running in circles.

_"Erza can't we just go back to the master's bedroom? And how did you passed through that bricks?"_ I asked while panting.

_"What bricks? When I went inside the false wall, the hole that we made before has been fixed instantly on my back."_ she replied.

'She didn't see the bricks?' the house is playing tricks with us. My train of thoughts was distracted by the loud growl of the ugly creature running behind us. I looked on my back and saw the big fat guy is catching up.

_"How the hell was he able to run that fast!?"_ I yelled.

_"I said don't look back it will slow you down. Focus on running."_ Erza tried to run faster.

We've been running about fifteen minutes, but it felt like hours. I'm starting to get tired, this never happened before in my entire life. The creature behind us just won't give up. It keeps on running, like his weight doesn't bother him from running.

_"Natsu!"_ Erza said while pointing what's ahead of us.

It was the metal door that Sting was talking about. I tried to run faster because I know it's going to be hard to open it. I reached the door first and pulled it open with all of my strength. Erza followed and helped me on the door. We did open it a little, just enough for us to fit inside. The creature was almost at the door. We pulled the door close immediately and locked it. The creature starts to pound the door with his large fat hands, but we ignored it. We looked around the well-lighted room.

_"Is this where they saw that flood of blood with… the nasty entrails with it?"_ Erza shivered.

I looked around but there's no blood here. Not a single drop of red stain. Also, there's no chair with straps. I just shrugged and walked towards the other door. I tried to open it but it's locked.

_"It's locked."_ I crossed my arms.

Erza tried to open it by herself and just sighed, "It's locked from the other side." She looked around and something caught her eye.

_"So, is this a dead end?"_ I raised an eyebrow to her.

_ "Look."_ she points at the ceiling light.

I moved a little closer under the light. There's something hanging on it. It's a key. I happily pulled it from the ceiling lamp, but Erza tried to stop me. She's just too late and I smiled at her while waving the key in front of her face. The ground starts to grumble and the tiles inside the room started to crack then something spurted from it.

_"Red water?"_ I almost touched the squirting red liquid and Erza's smack has stopped me from doing so.

_"It's blood, you fool!"_ She grabbed the key from my hand and head towards the door.

The blood from the tiles began to fill the floor. The light has starting to flick and below it an old chair has appeared. As the lights flickered, the chair becomes clear and clearer. A body of a person starts to appear on the chair like it was sitting there.

_"Natsu! Come on!"_ Erza has opened the door and went inside.

I ran towards the doorway and didn't wait for the image to complete. She immediately locked the door when I went through. We went upstairs and saw a light. It's already morning. Erza was not surprised for this has happened to her before.

_"Let's find our friends."_ Erza smiled while opening the gate before us.

BILLIARD ROOM

Sting's POV

I was woken up by the sun rays from the window. I slept on the pool table, how uncomfortable. I looked around the room and realized I'm still in the billiard room. The candles are out. My first instinct was to look for Lucy, but she was not on the couch anymore. I moved a little and noticed something heavy was attached to my body. I was surprised to see Lucy beside me and she was hugging me.

I slowly released myself from her embrace. I tried to stay quiet when I stand up. I went inside through the window and opened wide the curtains. It's not snowing anymore. I walked towards the door and flipped the light switch. There's no electricity, the generator is still down. I decided to open the door, I might catch Lector's scent, but I didn't. I breathe out noisily.

_"Where are you going?"_ Lucy was still on the pool table, rubbing her eye.

_"I'm not going anywhere."_ I left the door open, I don't want the corridor to change.

She then stands up and stretched out. I wanted to ask her when and why did she sleep beside her, but I just shrugged it off. It's not really serious though. We ate a little breakfast since we almost didn't eat anything yesterday. Something's a little different about Lucy, she seemed to be a lot cheerful.

After breakfast, we decided to look for the other Fairies. So we walked around the Manor. It's like taking a tour around the infamous house of the conceited noble kid. Good thing the house isn't changing while we're walking around, but I can't help to think on what's wrong with Lucy. While walking earlier, she grabbed my arm and cuddled it. 'Did she just become one of my fangirls now?' She didn't even want to look for her friends before. I just said I would 'like' to see them then she agreed to look for them. I'm starting to get irritated by her new overly-attached fangirl attitude.

When we walked outside the courtyard, I pulled her arm and pinned her on the nearest wall. I tried to control my temper a bit, it's not like I want to hurt her anyway.

_"What's wrong?"_ she pouted.

_"Listen! This is not the time to be flirty!"_ my hands gripped her arms more.

_"S-sting… You're hurting me."_ she said with tears in her eyes, my heart got soften and I removed my hands from her.

_"I'm sorry. You just changed and I don't like it that you're acting like that when we're all in danger in this house and you can't just stop caring about your friends."_ I explained to her softly.

_"But I really like you and you're more important to me now."_ she touched my face with her right hand but I grabbed it.

_"Don't fight it."_ she said softly.

I watched her lips as she spoke those last words. It's in slow motion in my sight. I was like hypnotized by this girl. I felt her pulling my face near to hers. I feel like I'm getting drawn into a sweet trance. Her eyes are so mesmerizing, it's like a hot cocoa, warming my whole body from the cold weather. I could almost feel her lips over mine. I closed my eyes...


	20. Chapter 19: A Bizarre Lust for Red

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

A full punch hit came into Sting's face. His body was thrown in the air and fell on the floor, his head fatally landed on the exterior glass single door of the courtyard and crashed the glass. A lot of blood drops from his head as he slowly sits on the floor and holds his dizzy head.

_"What the __f—"_ is all that came from Sting's mouth while jerking on the pain.

_"How dare you touch Lucy!"_ Natsu yelled and Erza came running behind him.

Lucy ran behind Natsu and she cried. Sting was surprised. He really thought that she would protect him after what happened to them earlier.

_"What did you do to Lucy?"_ Erza had her deadly eyes on Sting.

_"I didn't do anything. She's kissed me."_ the blonde slowly stood up and half of his face was already covered with blood.

_"NO!"_ Lucy yelled from her cried more and held her face with both of her hand. _"He forced me to kiss him."_ All of them were shocked, especially the innocent Sting.

_"You Perv!"_ Natsu snarled, gritting his teeth in anger.

_"I didn't!"_ Sting protested while wincing at the pain on his head.

Natsu threw another punch on Sting. He once again fell on the floor, but this time, his nape was plunged on the small pieces of glass that was stucked at the lower frame of the door. Blood came out of his mouth and his blood began flowing on the wound behind his neck.

_"Tch… Lay still!"_ Erza ran beside him and tried to aid him.

Natsu stepped back while realizing what he has done due to his anger. Behind him, Lucy kept on covering her crying face with her both hands. Her comrades didn't saw a small sneaky smirk that formed on her mouth. Sting was still on shocked and not to moving. His eye sight was slightly blurring.

_"Natsu! Help me lift him."_ the red-haired mage commanded.

The tensed dragon slayer walked towards his victim while trembling and knelt before him.

_"Lucy, get my medical kit upstairs!"_ Erza firmly ordered her but she didn't move an inch.

She glared at her blonde friend, but noticed something different about her. She stood up slowly and hides her eyes. Natsu worriedly looked at Erza while supporting Sting's back.

_"You… Where the hell is the real Lucy!?" Erza yelled._

_"I-it's me Erza, what are you talking abou_—_?" _Lucy stuttered and cut off.

_"Don't play with me. You don't eve_n_ know how to act like Lucy!"_ she furiously yelled at Lucy.

Sting just widens his eyes when he heard Erza. Natsu's mind was about to explode on what's going on. He got his emotion mixed up and so confused with everything but he stopped thinking when he heard Lucy laughed. She laughed harder when she looked at their faces' expressions.

_"How did you know I'm not the bimbo blonde?"_ the fake Lucy crossed her arms and smirked.

_"Hey! Don't talk about her like that!"_ Natsu growled.

_"Lucy's insignia is pink, not red! Plus your acting sucks!" _Erza scowled at her.

A small wicked chuckle came out from the fake blonde as she lifted up her right hand in front of her, facing the back of her hand in front of the Fairies. The red insignia changed into pink.

_"I love red. Red is the color of fiery passion. I love using fresh blood to do make-up for those ugly women's corpse. The more flamboyant a woman is, the more she's as beautiful as a poisonous flower, right?"_ she slowly walked towards Erza.

The ambiance around them has turned into a twilight zone as she walks in slow motion. Everything was shaded with crimson red. Lucy's whole body started to warp and change while lifting a few strands of Erza's scarlet hair.

_"I do love your hair."_ a different voice came out of the fake Lucy. _"Too bad, I'm not here for you." _She tosses Erza's hair away, she was taken aback on the floor. Erza was confused.

The morphing was completed. He is now a very tall dark entity with a very long dark red hair. She cannot move on his presence, neither was Natsu who was gritting in anger. The dark entity's red eyes dropped on the wounded blonde by the door, Sting caught his eyes and shocked as he recognized that it was the one who was haunting him. The black and red aura becomes stronger while the ghastly figure revealed his death scythed hovering beside him and put up a malevolent grin, showing his frightfully sharp teeth.

_ "Where is Lucy!?"_ Natsu interrupted while trembling in anger.

"Oh, it will be such a waste to destroy a pretty face." the ghastly figure ignored Natsu.

He is now showing his full dark ghastly body. He wore an opened red vest and a black high-heeled boots. The black and red that was aura is coming out from his open red vest, it was creating a small tiny screams of different voices. The background got dimmer when he touched the large scythe.

Everyone felt that something horrible will happened, especially Sting who was strained because of the glasses attached on his nape. A single tapping sound has changed the whole scene. Everything went inaudible. The tap on the wooden floor of the veranda was made by the unknown creature in front of the frightened wizards.

The glass on the top frame of the door has slid down in slow motion. Natsu and Erza shifted their gaze when they heard the cracking sound of the glasses. Sting eyes widens and tried his best to move but it was no use. Natsu wants to snatch Sting out of it but he can't move as well. The sliding broken glass meets Sting's neck and cut it cleanly. Natsu's and Erza's heart stopped while watching his head bounced back inside corridor and rolled while the blood from the head was tracking its way. The dark creature licked the corner of his mouth at the sight of the flowing blood from the headless body. He started to laugh viciously as he walks away.

_"My work here is done."_ he stared at the Fairies behind with his malicious grin. He slowly vanished with the black and red aura around him.

Everything has started to get back into a normal cloudy morning. The hues of white snow and vintage veranda have changed back. The fairytail wizards are now free to move and can breathe freely.

Sting's head stopped rolling in front of the sleeping Celestial Wizard while sitting on her feet in the middle of the corridor. She slowly lifted her eyes and had a blurry sight of the dimmed floor. She was confused as to why she's in that place. Her sight becomes clearer and cursed that it got better. She saw her new friend's head, lying before her. She saw the expression that was left on Sting's decapitated head, he was terrified, eyes and mouth was opened wide. Tears started to flow on her flustered cheeks as she screamed at the top of her lungs. Natsu and Erza heard her and were surprised and half glad that she's back. Natsu jumped on the hole of the door and rushed to Lucy. Erza was left on Sting's body, feeling guilty that she didn't do anything. Lucy's loud cry made Natsu hugged her. It was really contagious, it made them cry as well.

This mission has gone horribly wrong. None of this was supposed to happen. Both of their guilds must know on what was happening here. They should really get out of this place. That idea went on and on inside Erza's mind. It was her fault that she brought her friends here. She chose the mission herself, but there is something bothering her more. It's something that her comrades will never think of.


	21. Chapter 20: Behind the Umber Orbs

**A/N: Thank you guys for reviewing. (oliveoil29, OtakuPrincess28, radishbumps &amp; AsDarknessSpreads) I'm sorry for the grammatical errors, but I'm still gonna try my best. ^^v**

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

BEHIND THE COTTAGE

A light snowfall has started to descend from the sky. Sting was buried alongside with the others who died in the past days. The Fairytail wizards were staying near the graves of their fallen friends. Lucy was not herself anymore. She was sitting emotionless under the tree near Gray's gravestone. Erza and Natsu were talking about on how will they find the two missing Exceeds and how will they get out of there without consuming all the hours that was stated on the ruins outside the estate. Erza and Natsu were blaming themselves for Sting's death. Natsu was claiming that if he just talked to Sting and not hurt him, he would not suffer this kind of death. Erza was blaming herself for not doing anything while Sting was just beside her when he was about to die. Natsu punched the flurry ground.

_"I'm sick and tired of burying my friends!"_ he blurted out and cursed the house silently.

_"I am too Natsu, but in some point we cannot prevent this kind of…"_ Erza paused and looked at Lucy who was still blank from what happened. _"…accidents."_

_"Really!? You think that all of what happened to them was an accident!?"_ Natsu was irritated.

_"How would you call it then? Gray died from falling icicles. Rogue fall from the tree. Frosche mistakenly waited for nothing, so he died from cold and Sting was beheaded by the falling glass piece of the door. It's just really a bad timing."_ Erza explained.

_"Wake up Erza! It's the ghost's fault and this house too!"_ Natsu yelled.

"There's no such thing as ghost. Calm yourself!" Erza was frustrated and Natsu clicked his tongue upon hearing her.

_"Calm my__… You saw it yourself! That gay ghost who killed Sting!"_

_"I did saw him. By the way, do you think he's the one who snatched Happy and Lector?" _

_"No, I didn't smell their scents on him."_ Natsu frowned.

He thought of his missing friend again and somehow, it made him calm. All he wants to do know is to see his best friend now. He was still positive that the two Exceeds are still alive and well. He can feel it.

_"Natsu… Do you remember what the ghost said before he left?"_ Erza furrowed her brows.

_"'My work here is done?'"_ Natsu was confused.

_"Exactly! And do you remember what Lucy said? She saw Gray was attacked by a snow figure? Then we both saw that Sting was tricked by the guy who likes red."_ Erza crossed her arms.

_"Well, I did remember that Gray was attacked by the snow ghost. But Sting, was attacked by me…"_ Natsu sighed.

_"No…"_ she facepalmed. _"Yes, you did attack Sting because you thought that he did something to Lucy slash red ghost."_ Natsu nods and she continued. _"What if somebody else could have done that to Rogue too? What if there's a certain entity that was prepared to destroy each one of us?"_

_"So, do you actually believe to me now? That it was all done by the ghosts inside the house?"_ Natsu taunted her with a smirk.

_"Damn it! Natsu, I'm serious about this!"_ Erza smacked him.

_"Fine!"_ he held his new swelling lump on his head.

The both of them have decided that it's best if they stay inside the house. It's for their own health. Both of them helped Lucy get up. She's still impassive. She hasn't say anything since she stopped crying over Sting's death. Four deaths on five consecutive days were too much for her to bear.

They reached the two-way doors of the courtyard, the single door where Sting died was near the cottage but they couldn't go there now, not now that Lucy was with them. She might faint or something if they went there. Besides, they will reach their bedrooms faster this way.

Natsu opened the doors. Both of them are stunned but Lucy was still not making any emotion. Everything went upside down. The floors are on the ceilings, while the ceilings with elegant ceiling lamps are now on the floor. The paintings and windows are upside-down too. Their amazement was distracted by the sound of the pounding hammers and hacking saws. It's been a while since they heard that noise.

_"Ignore it." _ Erza said and Natsu nods.

The sound fades as they walked all the way through the entrance hall. They were amazed by the sudden change of the entrance hall. The grand staircase was now in the ceiling and the most amazing thing that they saw was the huge crystal chandelier is right in front of them. The small crystals shine in various set of colors up close. The gravity of the chandelier was pulling it up. Natsu tried to poke it and it swayed a little.

Erza was a little hazy with the upturned entrance hall and asked Natsu to change their route on the way upstairs. They went on the other corridor and it was not overturned. The red head was able to breathe peacefully.

-TIME SKIP-

ERZA'S BEDROOM

Erza's POV

I'm all worried, confused, guilty and depressed. I can't think straight and Natsu was not helping me at all. I had to stop him every time he wants to search Happy alone. He doesn't even know where to start. Lucy remains impassive, she was sitting on the window seat again. 'It must be so hard on her, but I still have to talk to her.' She was looking outside the window, I'm not so sure what she was staring at.

_"Hi Lucy."_ I said very casually when I sat down in front of her.

She didn't answer, but I know she heard me. She blinked her eyes when I called her name. I want her to talk to me. Like Gray's relationship to her, she's a little sister to me too.

_"Uhh, Lucy can I borrow your copy of the ruin scripture?"_ I smiled at her while touching her hand.

I waited for her respond patiently. After a couple of minutes, she slowly reached for it inside the breast pocket of Gray's coat. She pulled out the strapped journal and without looking at me, she raise it in front of me.

_"Thank you."_ I said softly and gently get the journal from her warm hand.

I had no interest on the old journal's entries or the copy of the rules that was set on this place. I just wanted her to respond to me and she did, that was a good start. Out of the blue, I heard Natsu snore. He fell asleep on the couch. He drifted off so fast, he must be really tired. Tired of everything that was going on around us.

A tiny speck of happiness came to me when Lucy finally spoke.

_"Erza…"_ she said in a hoarse low tone.

Her voice was tired from crying and screaming. I wouldn't blame her for being sensitive on these happenings. She was a soft hearted person. I stopped blaming myself for a while and focused on her. Right now, she needs help. She needs a friend who will pull her from the limbo she has fall in.

_"Yes, Lucy?"_ I smiled at her even if she was not looking at me.

_"Where is Happy and Lector?"_ she looked at me straight in the eyes.

I was shocked. There's no more glow in her eyes anymore. I don't want to think that she'll be like this forever. I'm just so glad that she talked to me now.

_"Natsu and I talked about it. We really don't know where they are but he sensed that they are both alright. That's why Natsu was somehow calmed."_ I looked over Natsu on the couch, still sleeping.

_"I see…"_ she almost whispered those words and looked down.

I kept on holding her hand. I should tell her what's bothering me all this time, since Natsu was already asleep. No one will overreact.

_"Lucy. There's something I want to talk about."_ I said in a serious tone and she looked back to me and nods a little. _"Like you, I saw everything what happened during the…accidents, except for Rogue and Frosche." _I sighed, I don't know how to say it properly. _"The thing is… I saw it a little different. Just a little… On how they die, expect for Rogue and Frosche."_

_"What did you see?" _she asked. I'm glad that she's still listening to me.

Why is it so hard to produce harmless words? I don't want to change her calmness. She was already broken and devastated. I came up a few words that I'm sure she'll understand enough. I cleared the lump on my throat before speaking.

_"I knew what 'really' happened."_ I stated firmly without hesitation.

Her eyes suddenly returned its glow and now it's all watery. She understands it. Tears came down to her face when she closed her eyes, she was not exactly crying but she just let her tears fall. Maybe 'that thing' was bothering her as well, like if she tells us about it, no one will listen.

_"Let's go to bed early. You could really use a sleep." _I smiled at her brightly.

She nodded and I guided her to bed. I blew the light on the candles and I tucked her in like a little kid. I lie beside her and waited for her to sleep before I drift off myself. I held her hand tight before I lost myself in deep slumber.

-TIME SKIP-

The cold woke me up in the middle of the night. There were blue soft lights coming from the windows. My PJ's aren't thick enough for the cold so I stood up and wear my coat. The floor was freezing and noticed that the room was a little foggy. 'It's happening again.' I alerted myself and looked around. Lucy and Natsu were still asleep. I was shocked when I saw the door was wide opened. I knew it was locked, I locked it myself when we got here yesterday.

'There's no way that this house will trick me. I'm not going out there.' I walked towards the door and close it gently but something has stopped me from closing it completely.

_"Er-za… "_

A voice emerged from the darkness outside the corridor. It was so familiar that I don't know if it was real or I'm just imagining it.


	22. Chapter 21: Day 6 - A Fatal Bite

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on this chapter.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

*Not inside the Manor*

SURVEILLANCE ROOM

_"That one was hard to break, my Lady."_

A plain but soft voice has spoken from the dark. It was the tall man's silhouette that has a pair of glasses. He was talking about Erza when she was about to close the door. The stubborn young girl was sitting in a chair in front of the monitors.

_"She's gonna ruin everything!"_ she was gritting her teeth when she saw Erza.

_"I have something special for her."_ the voice hinted that he had a smirk on his face.

ERZA'S BEDROOM

_ "Erza… Close the door!"_

The voice echoed outside the corridor and Erza did what she was told. She closed the door and locked it. She knew very well who owns that voice. It's was Jellal.

Erza's POV

I leaned my back on the door. Thinking why Jellal would be here. The timing was so wrong and he's not supposed to be in this place. This house can't fool me. He's not here. The voice out there was just is not him. It's impossible. He's with Meldy and Ultear now and they're far away from here. Natsu told me that we're the only ones here. Anyone else here would be an illusion.

Jellal's voice screamed in pain. I covered my ears with both of my hands and clenched my eyes close. 'He's not there. It's not him. Don't listen to him.' I kept on telling that myself but his yelling becomes more painful and louder then it suddenly stopped. It became completely quiet now. I stood up and lighted a candle. I slowly opened the door a little and decided to take a peek.

There's nothing but darkness and thin fog. I don't see Jellal here or any other illusion. I opened the door a little wider and looked out. There's still no sign of him. 'I guess it was just an illusion after all.'

_"Stay inside!"_

I eyes widen when I saw Jellal from the dark. His left arm is bleeding. I was really shocked, I don't know if I could trust this wounded image of Jellal. I can't decide whether to help him or not. Something has grabbed his ankle and he tripped. He fell on the floor and lifted his head. He just stared at me.

_"Don't follow me…"_

He whispered those words like he knows that I will understand it. He was dragged into the foggy darkness and disappeared from my sight. He screamed again, but this time, it sound like he was dying already. I felt my body moved on its own and ran after him.

I ran as fast as I can. I ignored the pain of the freezing floor on my feet. I followed the blood trail that Jellal left on the floor. The blood stain was not too thick. I really thought he had a bad injury. The tracks led me to the grand staircase and to the first floor corridor. I saw something in the dark far ahead. It was a body lying on the floor. 'Don't die. Don't die.'

_"Jellal!"_ I yelled while running towards it.

I stopped in front of it and kneeled. While catching my breath, I observed the cold body. It was covered in blood but it's not Jellal's clothing. I was relieved.

_"I thought I told you not to follow me?"_

It was Jellal's voice. I followed his voice and shifted my body. He was behind me, still bleeding.

-TIME SKIP-

KITCHEN

It was a little dark and still foggy. Jellal was sitting on the table while Erza is putting bondage on his arm. The room was lighted up by Erza's candlestick.

Erza's POV

_"There, that should do it."_ I just finished putting bondage on Jellal's arm. _"So, what are you doing here?"_

_"I have a mission here."_ he said and he opened the fridge to get some water.

I tilted my head to see what's in the fridge, even though I already know that it was just the glass pitchers. I narrowed my sight and saw something familiar inside.

_"What's your mission?"_ I stood up and went to the fridge myself.

He didn't answer. He just watched me look inside the fridge.

My eyes flutter in excitement when I saw the mouth watering strawberry cake inside the fridge. It's weird, the last time I opened this fridge, I saw nothing but the pitchers. I lifted the whole cake's plate and put in on the table.

_"I wouldn't eat that if I were you."_ Jellal leaned on the counter while holding a glass of water.

_"I know. We never saw this cake before."_ I leaned on the table to observe the cake closer.

_"Just leave it there."_ he said.

_"I just want to taste it a little."_ I said, almost drooling on the cake.

I saw him shook his head and drank a little water, but I ignored it. I dipped my right forefinger on the frosting of the cake. I stared at it for a while and put it inside my mouth.

_"Hey!"_ Jellal yelled.

_"It's real and not poisoned."_ I smiled brightly at him.

He facepalmed as I had my eyes set on the strawberry on top of the one layered cake. I lifted my hand and grabbed the strawberry. When I pulled it, it didn't come out. I was a little confused, but when I tried again, I pulled it a bit harder and I succeed. I just got the half of it. I tossed it inside my mouth and savor its taste then swallowed it.

_ "You really shouldn't have done that."_ Jellal's voice has changed.

_"Why__—"_ I was cut off by the pain inside my mouth.

The pain has started from a small stingy pain and turned into a chronic pain. It first occurred on my mouth then to my tonsils and then to my throat. I coughed when I felt something was attached inside my throat. I tried to reach it but I think I just pushed it and scratch a part of my tonsil. I was forced to cough constantly. I fall on the floor and a lot of blood came out of my mouth. It was too painful, I wanted to stop the coughing because it's making it the pain worse.

_"Jellal…"_ I said, but it didn't sound like I was calling him at all. The things on my throat have prevented me from talking.

I saw him knelt before me. He picked something from the blood that I coughed and brought it near my face. My eyes widens when I saw the shiny thing that was inside my throat. It was a small shard of glass.

_"You never listen to me even if I already used the image of the person you really like."_ He brushed off his face with his hand and it changed into someone.

He has a black hair and a pair of golden eyes, it's like glowing from inside. He also has a pair of glasses with no frame. His skin was so pale. His clothing was changed too when a sand-like particles went around him and vanished through his black suit. He's wearing the same clothes like the butler who worked for the noble kid.

When I tried to move, the shards inside my throat were just digging out more. I tried to remove some pieces of glass off my mouth, but I can't reach the ones from my throat. The creepy thin man went over the table and went back in front of me. He brought a big plate with glass tea set on it. He points on top of the glass kettle cap the top of it was broken. Its spherical thin cap holder was missing. Upon realization what he meant, I just coughed more blood again. 'Did I just swallow—'

_"Yes, you did Erza. Your mind made you think that this tea set was the cake you're always fond of."_ he looked at me with worry on his eyes. _"Do you want to know what will happen to you now?"_

'Did he just read my mind!?' I coughed again and hold my painful throat. I really felt the shards were cutting my flesh inside. I can't breathe properly anymore.

_"If you manage to pull out all the shards from your throat, you'll only live for a few hours. Do you want to know why?"_ he paused for a while like he was waiting for an answer from me. _"Your throat will swell from the wounds, it will prevent you to breathe properly. I presume that your carotid artery was already horribdamaged by one of the shards. You will not be able to breathe anymore…soon."_

I trembled after he said my terrible fate. I don't care about the cold anymore and ignored the pain for a while. I stood up and I ran outside the kitchen. I have to get back to Lucy and Natsu, but I really did a great mistake. I just felt dizzy and fell on the floor. I can't breathe anymore and the pain has worsened. My eyes cried for the pain that I'm feeling and for the fact that I'm dying. I rolled and laid my back on the cold floor. The taste of my blood with the shards is disgusting. I stared at the dark ceiling while thinking of my mistakes.

I heard the creepy man walked near me with the candle. He knelt down and rubbed my tears away using his right hand that was covered with white glove.

_"You do really have a soft spot for cakes."_ he stared at me while removing the blood from my mouth. I smiled a little.

_"I haven't told you yet about my mission, right?"_ he waited for an answer again. I didn't answer, I can't speak anymore. I'm trying to stay still and concentrate on my breathing.

_"I'm here to collect your soul." _he sounded so serious.

'Collect!?' I was terrified. I can't imagine that somebody is just waiting for me to die and not even trying to help me. 'Isn't he even a human?' I have so many questions about him. I want to know why he wants to get my soul. I want to know why he needs it and where are the two missing Exceeds. I coughed again, the blood was spilled over my face. I feel numb. Maybe it was because of the cold or maybe it was because I cannot breathe anymore. I really felt that someone is strangling me.

_"You talk to your mind too much."_ he cleaned my face again. His white gloves are all bloody now.

_"I'll only answer the first question that your mind asked."_ I glared at him, not because that he tricked me but because I was in pain and I can barely breathe.

_"I'm…a demon."_ he grinned at me, his mouth has stretched and widened.

The pale complexion of his skin has turned into black. His handsome face was gone and it turned into a monster. His teeth have sharpened. The pupils of his glowing eyes have enlarged and multiplied and his nose is gone. His body has turned into a giant black spider. I jerked a little when he started to change, that only helped the shards to dig out more of my throat, but it didn't matter anymore. The huge spider was making a chittering sound while moving towards me.

I closed my eyes and accepted my fate. 'I'm sorry Natsu and Lucy... I'm sorry Lector and Happy… I failed you all.' Tears rushed down from my eyes. The last thing I remember was not the pain but my memories with Fairytail, my childhood friends and…Jellal.

'Thank you for everything…'

I drifted off into my eternal sleep.

-TIME SKIP-

ERZA'S BEDROOM

No one's POV

The room was a little dark, but the fog was still there. Lucy was sitting on the bed, half of her body was still covered with blanket. She was already wide awake when Erza left the room, but she did not move an inch. She's not herself again. All that she did was sit there and stared at nothing. The color of her eyes was dull and the life in it was gone. She stood up and brought the blanket with her. She sat on the window seat again and wrapped the blanket around her.


	23. Chapter 22: Bottomless Pit

**A/N: Yes, it has a little crossover of Kuroshitsuji, but I didn't put it on the summary because I don't want the Black Butler fans to expect the appearance of the characters on every chapter. T_T**

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on later chapters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

ERZA'S BEDROOM

Natsu's POV

I woke up from a nasty nightmare. I'm all sweaty and a little bit panting. In my dream, Erza died because of some sick cake and was eaten by a demon spider, and Lucy became a crazy person. I chuckled nervously at myself as I sat up and looked around. The sun was already rising when I glanced at the windows. I looked on the bed but there's nobody there.

_"No! That's was real!?"_ I stood up, ignoring my blanket that fell on the floor.

_"Erza…"_

My head followed the voice, it was Lucy. She's still seating by the window seat like in my dream. I walked to her and asked her bluntly.

_"Where's Erza!?"_ I slightly yelled at her due to my frustration of my dream.

"Erza's gone…" she stared at me and looked away.

Those cold eyes of hers made me chill a little, it felt like she's telling me that my dream was real. She can't help me find Erza if she's in this state. I sat with her on the window seat.

_"What do you mean she's gone?"_ I leaned closer to her.

_"She was not beside me anymore when I woke up."_ she answered, but she didn't look at me. She was playing on the zipper of Gray's coat.

_"Do you know where she went?"_ I asked but she didn't answer.

_"Let's go out then?" _

She shook her head and gripped on the blanket that was covering her. I stood up and stayed in front of her. She's still not looking at me. I tried to see what she was staring at outside the window, but I saw nothing but trees covered with snow. I feel useless for not understanding her. I carried her up and dropped her from feet on the floor.

_"There! Change your clothes and I'll wait for you outside."_ I smiled at her and went outside.

The door was already wide opened. The corridor still has fog on the floor, but it was thin. The problem is, the darkness, the light coming from the window at the end of the corridor is not enough to light the entire passage. 'I think we should check the generator first if we can do something about it.' I leaned on the wall beside bedroom's door while waiting outside. Erza did get out of the room before we woke up. In my dream, I remembered she followed someone to the kitchen and then… 'It's just a dream. It's just a dream.' I shouldn't think of that. Erza won't die with just some little pieces of a broken glass, it's so unreal.

I closed my eyes and held my head. It's aching a little, maybe I'm thinking too much. I let my breath out loudly and slapped both side of my face with my hands. I need to focus and look for my friends.

I almost jumped when I opened my eyes. Lucy was already in front of me. She was staring at me with no emotion on her face while I was lost in my thoughts.

_"Let's go!"_ I smirked at her and walked away.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw Lucy was following me. I turned my head on the way and focused on my dragon senses. I still can't smell or hear the two Exceeds. It's the same with Erza, I don't detect them anywhere near us. While I'm failing on the search, I thought of my partner here beside me. I'm not used to this silence with her. She used to complain a lot with everything she get tired of. I breathe out loudly when I thought of Happy who was always teasing her when she grumbled on something.

_"Natsu…"_ Lucy spoke softly.

I paused for being startled a little, but we continued to walk. I'm glad that she finally talked to me without being obliged to do so.

_"Yeah?"_ I smiled at her.

_"Are you ok?"_ she said sternly.

_"Of course, I am."_ I wore my usual smirk.

_"I'm not…"_ she looked down.

I stopped walking and faced her. I hope she'll open up to me. I'm her best friend and partner after all.

_"Why not?"_ I asked softly but I looked to her seriously.

I just waited for any response but she did not answer my question. But I was taken back when her eyes was filled with tears. Not long after that she started to cry silently. I panicked. I don't know what to do. I'm really sure I didn't make her cry. 'What should I say?'

_"L-luce… Don't cry. I'm sorry if I said or did something bad."_ I rubbed the back of my head.

She shook her head and her hands kept on rubbing off her tears. I crossed my arms and kept my eyes on hers.

_"Is it about what you and Erza talked about last night?"_

She stopped in motion. 'Did they really think that I was really asleep at that time?' She slowly dropped her hands and asked.

_"You knew?" _

_"Actually, I don't. What was that anyway?"_ I furrowed my brows.

She hesitated at first, but when she's ready to speak, a loud noise has distracted us. It was a scratching sound from the wall. Beneath the wall was the Parlour Room. I've never been inside it. Lucy grabbed the hem of my black coat behind me. The sound continued to make noise while we slowly approached to the door.

As soon as my hand reached the doorknob, the noise stopped. Lucy and I looked at each other. She nods at me. I slowly twisted the handle and peeked through the small gap that I made when I opened the door. Lucy peeked as well.

It's really dark. I had to focus my eyes on everything to see better. The fog has invaded this room too. There are shelves on one side of the wall. There are books and wines on it. There are three windows there, but the curtains are closed. On the left side of the room, there is a couch and a coffee table. On the other side, there are two elegant chairs and between it there's a small table. I glance again on one of the chairs. I knew I saw someone sitting on it and I was right. I can't figure out if it was a girl or a boy, but it has a short blonde hair. He doesn't smell human at all and that made me growl. Maybe he knows where Erza was.

I pushed the door and I heard Lucy yelped behind me. I stood up straight and yelled.

_"Who are you!?"_

It did not answer. In my annoyance, I stomped my way inside and Lucy followed me. I stopped half way before him. It was a boy, maybe the same age as the bossy kid that owns this manor. He wears a long purple frock coat with a green vest beneath it and a white button up shirt. There's a black ribbon that was tied up around his neck. He has short black shorts, a long black stockings and a brown heeled boots. He was seating crossed legs on the chair and made a move on the chess board. 'So the small table was a chess board.' I shook my thoughts off.

_"I said, who are you!? And what are you doing here!?" _I jabbed a finger on him.

_"Calm down!"_ Lucy pulled my arm down.

The boy finally placed his eyes towards us. His glaring icy blue eyes made me and my friend stepped back. He laughed manically and very dark. It echoed around the room. My hands clutched as I want to shut his mouth by punching him. Lucy was terrified, she closed her eyes tightly and stuffed her ears with her hands.

_"Stop it! You're scaring my friend!"_ I shouted.

His laugh turned into a wide feral grin while ogling his eyes on us. I heard a click sound nearby. As a reflex, I looked from my left to right but nothing has changed. Now, a small ticking sound has started ringed to our ears. It made us panicked at it when it grew louder. Lucy moved closer to me and the part of the floor where we are standing has collapsed.

I can't see from bottom of the trap, but when I looked up, I saw the kid leaning at the edge of the hole. We heard him laughed again. Lucy kept on screaming but I hold her hand to comfort her. I'm not sure if we will survive the impact below.


	24. Chapter 23: Hell Fire

**WARNING: This Fanfic contains violence, abuse and gore on this chapter.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

Natsu's POV

I woke up by the liquid dripping over my cheek. I was on a wet and dark muddy floor. It was too cold for me. I can see my visible breathe coming out from me. It was a little dark but there's a soft light coming from a distant. We're in a tunnel. When I moved, I felt a severe pain on my left leg. I leaned on my elbows while lying on the floor. My eyes widened when I saw a sharp thin metal has stabbed my leg. Without hesitation, I breathed in really hard and exhaled as I pull my bleeding leg out of the metal. I yelled out in pain. While struggling, I ripped a piece of cloth from my pants and wrapped it around my wound as bondage.

A thought flashed to my head. 'Where is Lucy?' I looked around but it's too dark, I can't see anything from this angle. I took a very deep breath again and pushed myself up. I tried my best to endure the pain on my leg. I'm so worried, she's should be just near me, since I held her hand while we're falling. After a lot of failed trials, I finally managed to stand on my feet. Once again, I looked around and saw Lucy on a dark corner, her body was facing the floor.

_"Lucy!"_ I yelled and it echoed throughout the sewers.

I ran to her while limping. I ignored the pain that kept me from moving. My heart swelled when I saw blood on the floor just below her head. My knees fall on the floor and the tears on my eyes have started to escape. 'I should have protected her more.' That's all I could think while looking down at Lucy.

-FLASHBACK-

We bumped on a flat sloping steel base of the trap and slid down from it. It felt really cold and a little slimy. Lucy's cries made a resonating sound around. Actually, it's making my ears tingly, but I kept on looking down. We might survive the impact if we do something about it, but it's too dark. Lucy squeezed my hand and that made me look at her.

_"Look out!"_ she screamed.

Something hit my head and I got blacked out.

-FLASHBACK END-

I snapped back to reality when I heard Lucy groaned. 'She's alive!' I helped her roll and lie on her back. She smiled at me.

_"I thought you're gone."_ she whispered.

I shook my head quickly and smirked brightly. I don't know if she even saw my expression, but I don't care, as long as she's still alive and well. There's a small cut on her right temple, but it's not bleeding anymore. 'How long have we been in here?'

_"What happened to you?"_ she raised a brow at my wounded leg.

_"Ohh this?"_ I chuckled nervously lift my aching leg. _"It's nothing! Can you get up?"_ I offered my hand to her.

_"Yeah… Thanks."_ she reached for my hand and stood up.

We started to wander off the sewage when I took a wooden torch from the wall. It was so silent. The howling of the wind bounces off the walls of the tunnel. I tried to keep my neutral stance while walking, I don't want Lucy to worry. We kept on hearing some painful screams. We don't know where it exactly came from, it echoed from the holes of the other tunnels. It's best if we avoid those places. Now is not the time for bravery, it could be just our imagination or worse, it could be just one of the illusions that came from the house above us. I can't help to wonder if the dungeon is near here, but my aching head kept me from thinking.

Our damp clothes heightened the cold of the weather. Lucy could get sick. The silence occupied us once again. It was very an unusual silence. We don't hear anything anymore, even the water dropping on the floor was gone. Our footsteps' noise was also gone. Even my dragon hearing senses can't hear anything. I sniffed the air and coughed from a horrid scent.

_"What's that smell!?"_ I pinched my nose.

I felt Lucy tugged my coat. I saw the dreadful panic on her eyes. She must have smelled it too and remembered the time when she was in the dungeon with Sting and Lector. A sudden chill grew behind us was followed by a soft sniffles. There's somebody behind us and it's not a human. I slowly grabbed Lucy's hand and towed her when I ran.

_"Natsu, stop running, you're hurting yourself!"_ she pleaded.

_"It's better than getting killed!"_ I glared at her.

I know she was just looking after me, but I don't want her to get hurt. Getting out of here is our main concern if we want to live until tomorrow. I threw away the wooden torch, I thought it might slow me down. We kept on running aimlessly through the tunnels, hoping that we never go to a dead end. We just have to get away from those illusions.

After a few minutes of running, the strong presence was gone. We're really exhausted and I just dropped my body on the cold ground. Good thing it's dry though, no moss or mud. My leg has started to bleed when we ran earlier. Lucy looked on to my leg and was shocked when she removed the cover of my wound. I never really thought that it was a really big cut. She removed Gray's coat and both of her separated blue sleeves from her arms. She used the other one to clean my wound and she tore the other one into long strips and covered my wound.

_"Thanks."_ I sighed and covered my eyes with my right arm.

_"We really should not have run."_ Lucy looked down while putting on the coat again.

_"We could have died there you know."_

_"But nothing will harm us in there…"_

_"What do you mean?"_ I lifted up a little using my arms and elbows.

She just shook her head and made me more curious.

_"Hey, what's wrong? You could tell anything to me."_ I sat up and crossed my legs.

While I wait for her to answer, our surrounding has started to change. Lucy crawled behind me and closed her eyes tightly. The huge pipes are melting on the ground. The filthy sewage waters have became a solid rough ground and a few sharp stones are growing from it. Stalactites and stalagmites are forming in random spots. The place is starting to look like a desert cave. It was a little dark, dry and dusty. The changing has stopped after forming a pond of fire in front of us. There are also a few geysers that have formed. The cold of the weather was gone in an instant. I can smell brimstone everywhere.

Lucy helped me to stand up. We're both starting to sweat. She was troubled by her breathing, so she took of Gray's coat and tried to breathe normally.

_"Stay here."_ I told her as I walked towards the pond of fire.

I was limping badly. It was too painful for me now. Running earlier was really a mistake but it's the right thing to do. I don't want to drag Lucy to my own death. I knew that she wouldn't run away and leave me behind even if I forced her to do so, so I had to run with her.

I knelt down in front of the pond and sit on my feet. I was fascinated with the red blazing fire, flowing in a slow pace.

_"Fire Dragon Slayer"_

Lucy and I are both stunned. The voice came from a woman. It was cold and brooding but calm in some ways. I averted my eyes from the pond and looked for the eerie speaker, but I don't see anyone other than Lucy, who was now trembling in fear.

_"I heard you love to eat fire. Care to taste my dancing embers?"_

_"No! Don't Natsu!"_ Lucy yelled but the woman's voice has clouded my ears.

Her words rolled on her tongue like an acid. It was too tempting, I haven't eaten fire since we arrive here and the thought of eating it made me missed using my dragon slayer magic. 'Maybe it will bring me my magic back?' I stared at the pond for a few minutes and my body moved on its own. I leaned on the edge and dipped my left hand unconsciously into the burning pond.

_"Natsu!"_

I heard Lucy yelled again, but it was too faint. It's like she's too far from me. I lifted my left hand and saw that it was not burned. I didn't even felt anything from it, it's like a normal fire to me. So, I did it again but this time, I scooped a fire with my hand. It was staying still on my palm as I stared at it. I swallowed the lump on my throat and sipped all the flame from my hand.

I turned to Lucy and smiled at her. It actually made me feel better. The pain on my leg was gone. I stood up and ran towards my waiting friend, but on half of my way, I was distracted by the sinister laugh of woman earlier.

The woman emerged from the pond of fire and walked towards me but not too close behind me. She laughed more when I turned to her. Her tone was sick and cold, it was buzzing in my ears and I'm getting irritate of it. I glared at her fiercely.

She has a light brown skin and navy blue eyes with her pupils appear to be in slit. Her lips are purple and her hair pale lavender hair extends to the back of her knees. She had a spiky tattoo or symbol on both of her cheekbone. She was wearing a one-piece outfit with a floral spider's web on her back. She also wears a black long gloves and black thigh-high heel-less boots. She had a two black rose with black thorns hanging on the left side of her head.

_"You are a fool."_

_"What are you talking about!?"_ after I blurted those words, I felt something in my heart.

_"Natsu… You're face…"_ she was horrified and shaking when she pointed my face.

My heart was beating slowly but the pump was deep. My body has started to raise temperature. I feel like I'm boiling inside. A red, swollen and painful cluster of boils are starting to grow on my face and the pus popped one by one. Not long enough my body did the same, starting from my neck down to my legs. I feel like I'm burning in pain. My skin has started to itch and I scratched my arm intensely. I was stunned when my skin latched to my nails. I just wounded myself. I panicked as I stepped back and looked at Lucy again. She was stared at me with her

_"What have you done to me!?"_ I yelled at the evil woman.

_"I didn't do anything to you. All I did was to offer you the fire of hell."_ she chuckled coldly.

My skin was melting and bleeding at the same time, I can feel pain all over my body. I fall on the floor on my knees, but my bones cracked when I crashed myself on the dusty ground. I screamed as loud as I can. I heard Lucy calling my name and she was close to me.

_"Get away from me!"_ I shouted at her.

The burning has reached my eyes and the last thing I saw was the blurred face of Lucy then slowly, everything went to black. I can't see anymore, but I felt something was leaking from my eyes. By the smell of it, it's my own blood. When I touched my eyes, I can't feel my eyeballs anymore. Soon, I felt my teeth are starting to fall off as I coughed with blood. I felt my ears and nose are bleeding too. I can't think straight, I don't know how I will help myself. All I could think was the burning heat of pain inside me. When the pain was already in my head, it was too crucial to handle. I no matter what I do. I kept on melting until I felt nothing anymore and before I knew it, my system has shut down on its own.

No one's POV

Before Natsu passed away, Lucy cried in front of him while he was suffering. She can't do anything about him. The woman was watching them with fascination and a sly smirk on the corner of her mouth. While the Fire Dragon Slayer's skin was melting and bleeding, he keeps on tossing and rolling on the floor. Lucy wants to touch him, but he yelled at her to stop. His eyes were bleeding until both of his eyes poked out on their own. He felt an intolerable pain on his head and held it with both of his hands while screaming in pain. Lucy just can't watch him, she kept on crying and slamming her fists on the floor when she can't do anything for him. After a few seconds, he lied lifelessly on the floor. Every skin, muscle and organ that he has became a boiling gooey blood on the dusty ground. All that's left was his bones with small pieces of fresh muscles attached to it. Lucy was now stunned while her tears are running down her face. She just sat in front of Natsu's remains.

_"What are you going to do now, little girl?"_ the demon looked down on Lucy who was still shocked at everything.


	25. Chapter 24: Day 7 - The Mission Ends

**A/N: ****This should be the end of the story and I'm sorry if I didn't finish it before the Halloween day. I got distracted from my new schedule at work. ****Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairytail or any characters that belongs to this fanfic. The images used in this fanfic is not mine as well. I will not earn a cent for sharing this story. This is made intently for the Halloween season.**

* * *

FIRE CAVE

A steamy hot water has spewed from the mouth of a geyser near Lucy. Normally, when these surprises occur, she will flinch or jump a little, but this time she didn't. She sat still on the ground. Not moving her eyes away from Natsu's tainted clothes and bones. She's not crying anymore, but her face was stained by her unwiped tear lines. She slowly crawled to move closer to her friend. Her right hand was shaking when she lifts it and grabbed Natsu's stained scarf. She stared at it for a very long time before she hugged the scarf to her chest tightly and felt the remaining warm presence of her best friend.

_"NATSU!"_ she screamed while she began to cry over the scarf.

The demon woman genuinely smiled in front of her and closed her eyes. She breathed in and turned her back from the grieving blonde. As she walked away, a soft wind blew to the demon and she disappeared into a small crystal dust. The scorching cave did the same. Slowly, everything inside the cave was breaks up into small shiny particles and ascends into the air until it vanished. Natsu's clothes, bones and blood were also disappearing.

_"No… Don't take him away from me!"_

Lucy hugged her best friend's scarf tightly. She cried more when she saw the scarf was slowly turning into a crystal dust. She tightened her grasp and kept on shaking her head, muttering the word 'No.' over and over again.

The changing was inevitable. The cave was gone and replaced by the entrance hall of the Manor. Natsu's remains were what's left, but it was slowly dissolving into the air as well.

_"Please… Don't…"_

The Celestial Mage put the scarf on her crying face until it vanished like it never exists. She stopped crying upon realizing that the scarf was gone. Her hands that were resting in front of her face were already empty.

The grandfather clock has chimed, it echoes around the empty hallways and corridors. The cold weather was back but she didn't mind it. She slowly laid her back on the carpet and stared the unlit chandelier on the ceiling. She watched the visible breathe from her mouth and lifts her hand to catch the small white smoke. She opened her hand and stared at it without any emotions.

_"It was all my fault…"_ she rested her hand on the floor and she closed her eyes.

-FLASH BACK-

*Black and White Reeling Film*

Gray tries to stand up but his sight is blurry. He just falls on the floor lightheaded and holds his throbbing head. When he sits up, the ghastly snow figure sends Gray another blizzard but this time it's not just Gray she was really aiming for. The icicles that formed on the ceilings of the veranda started to shake. When Gray heard the familiar jingling sounds above him, he knew what's going to happen but he was too late. As he lifts his head up the veranda, four icicles fall down on him randomly. The first one plunge on his stomach that made him cough blood. The second one falls on his chest. The third icicle thrust directly through his neck and pushed inside his throat and the last one stabs his right cheek causing his right eye to tear out blood. His blood trickled out his body and it stained the beautiful white snow beneath him. The snowy image vanished and the courtyard returns into a quiet and calm place.

(Scene fast-forward)

_"So they're here too, huh?"_ rogue hissed while standing on the top of the branch. _"Sting's gonna be pissed."_ he crossed his arm s over his chest.

_"Fro thinks so too."_ Frosch raised his hand cheerfully. He was waiting below the tree.

They were outside the window of Erza's bedroom. He was shocked when he saw Lucy take the window seat. The Shadow Dragon Slayer stepped back but the branch snapped. His head fall on a large boulder below the tree.

_"Rogue...?"_ the Exceed in frog suit ran towards Rogue.

He tugged Rogue's body but he did not respond. He tried to pull him, but Rogue was too heavy for him. Fro decided to stay below the tree while waiting for Rogue to move.

After Lucy blinked the two Sabertooth members are gone from her sight, she never told this to anyone because she thought it was just her imagination.

(Scene fast-forward)

A sound of crashing glass has waked Lucy up, but she refused to open up her heavy eyes. Something has bumped in front of her knees. Her eyes slowly lifted and had a blurry sight of the dimmed floor. 'Where am I?' she thought. Her sight becomes clearer and better. Sting's decapitated head was lying before her knees. She saw the expression that was left on Sting's head, he was terrified, eyes and mouth was opened wide. Tears flowed down on her cheeks, not long after, she started to cry and scream.

(Scene fast-forward)

When Lucy woke up, Erza's not beside her anymore. It was a little dark, but the fog was still here. She lifted herself up to sit on the bed. She didn't look for her because she knew that she was already too late. Lucy knew something bad already happened to her. She can feel it and there's nothing she can do about it. She dragged the blanket with her and sat by the window.

(Scene fast-forward)

Natsu was melting in front of Lucy. His skin was literally boiling, sagging and melting on the floor. She wanted to help him but she just can't. She just watched him while crying. After a few seconds, he just stopped squirming on the floor. Every skin, muscle and organ that he has became a boiling gooey blood. All that's left was his bones with small pieces of flesh attached to it. Lucy was too shocked to move.

(Scene rewind)

_"Lucy. There's something I want to talk about."_ Erza looked serious. _"Like you, I saw everything what happened during the…accidents, except for Rogue and Frosche." _she paused for a while. _"The thing is… I saw it a little different. Just a little… on how they died._

_"What did you see?" _Lucy asked.

_"I knew what 'really' happened."_

Lucy felt her heart was warmed by her words and tears escaped from my eyes. She knew everything… She knew that the blonde did everything, but she's not even mad at her.

-FLASHBACK ENDS-

She opened up her eyes, ungrateful to see that she was still on this house and not dreaming on her own bed back in Magnolia.

_"I…killed them all…"_

Lucy doesn't know how she was doing it but Erza was smart enough to know that she was the culprit of the tragic accidents. All she knows was every time she thought of something bad, her friends started to die one by one.

_"I don't deserve to live…"_

She stood up and wear Gray's coat. She slowly walked throughout the gloomy corridor and reached the kitchen. She opened all the drawers and cabinets until she found a large kitchen knife. She carefully placed it inside the coat's pocket and head out of the kitchen.

Lucy walked all the way to the courtyard. Even if it was freezing outside because of the snowfall, she made her way to the center and leaned on the fountain. She removed the snow that was covering the frozen water. The coin that she tossed was still here. She smiled a little but immediately wears it off. She continued walk to the small cottage. Upon opening the door she already saw what she came for. She kneeled in front of the gasoline canisters and gently touched the handles before grabbing it and taking it outside. A total of five gasoline cans was carried out of the cottage. She left the four cans outside the cottage when she went inside the maze garden. She remembered well where the dungeon entrance was. She opened the black gate and went down the stairs. It was too dark but she managed to find the wooden door. She opened it and saw the dark room. No anomalies. Using the knife that she got earlier, she stabbed the bottom part of the can and the gasoline starts to leak out. The blonde walked around the room and walked out of the doorway. She closed the door and went upstairs with the leaking can. When she reached the gates, she threw the can down. She reached a small box of matches on one of the coat's pockets. She stood still for a while, but she was disturbed by the growling creature that was trapped inside the dungeon. Without second thoughts, she lit up one of the matches and threw it downstairs. She watched until the fire was blocking the whole path. She went outside the gates and closed it.

On her way back the cottage, she grabbed two of the gasoline bottles and walked through the courtyard. She looked back and saw the fire smoke in the middle of the maze garden. Satisfied with the results, Lucy continued to walk towards the door where Sting died. She went inside the empty glass hole of the door and walked upstairs until she reached the third floor. She left one of the gasoline cans on the stairs.

She opened the door of the observatory and walked straight to the huge telescope. She got disappointed when she leaned her face on the eyepiece.

_"There are no stars…"_ Lucy said without any emotion.

The Celestial Wizard stabbed the bottom part of the canister. She walked around the observatory and through the rooms on the third floor, filling the floor with gasoline. When the bottle got empty, she tossed it away and grabbed the other one beside the stairs. She poked a whole on it and did the same thing while climbing down to the second floor. This time, she did not go inside the rooms, except the master's bedroom. She spread the gasoline through the false wall and throughout the room. The scent of the gasoline was making her dizzy. She ran out of the room and went through the stairs while throwing away the empty can. Before going down, Lucy lit up a match and threw it on the stenched floor. The fire stretched out through the corridor of the second floor. It followed the trail of the gasoline all the way up to the third floor. She climbed down and walked outside the courtyard hastily.

The blonde took the last two gasoline bottles. Before going in, she glanced up and saw the burning second and third floor and went inside the first floor corridors. She spread the gasoline inside the rooms and threw the bottles away. She lit up the corridors with a match. She stayed in the middle of the entrance hall. It's the only place that was not burning right now. The whole Manor was on fire and soon it will knock itself down. The heat of the fire was like the fire cave's atmosphere. Her eyes are all watery due to the smoke of fire.

Lucy took off the coat and reached the knife from the pocket. She stared at it while she tossed Gray's coat on the floor. A small gust of wind flew to Lucy.

_"Is this what you really wanted?"_ a deep, calm and sweet voice disturbed Lucy's mind.

When she lifted her eyes, she saw tall pale man with white hair and amethyst eyes. He wears a white suit with a purple vest. He was wearing black gloves on his hands and a belt with rapier on the side of his hips. He was standing before the stairs. He looks like an angel. There's no hint of malice on his look or even with his voice.

_"I killed my friends…"_ the blonde looked on the floor.

_"But you didn't do it on purpose, right?"_ the man smiled at her.

Lucy shook her head and looked the man straight in his eyes.

_"Are you the one who will get my soul?"_ she said nonchalantly.

_"If you want me to."_ he frowned and held the handle of his rapier.

The Celestial Mage made and 'o' word on her mouth and looked down. Is she going to let him get her soul? She remembered something about her friends that made her tightened her clutch on the knife.

_"Where's Happy and Lector…"_ she whispered.

_"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."_ he stepped forward.

_"I said… Where's Happy and Lector!? Where are my friends!?"_ she yelled as she points the knife on the tall man.

_"I don't know. I'm not the one who got them. I'm sorry…"_ he worriedly explained to her.

_"I don't believe you!"_ Lucy's tears started to flow down.

_"Please, I really don't know."_ he kept on defending himself.

Lucy shook her head. She doesn't want to hear any of this illusion's or creature's lies. She lunged forward and attempts to stab the knife on the stranger before her. The tall man spread out his arm, as if she's letting her do anything as she pleases. Lucy thrust the sharp kitchen knife deep into the man's stomach and removed it quickly.

While in trance of her triumphed attack, she lost her balance but the man has prevented her falling. His arms are around her body but he's not hugging her completely. He was staring at her with concern in his eyes.

_"Look what you did…"_ he looked down to her body.

Lucy looked down on her own body. She was wounded, but she was already too weak to be surprised. She just smiled when she touched her stabbed belly and felt her own warm blood.

_"You knew that this will happen when you attacked me. You planned it all in your head. I was watching you all. In fact, you did 'everything' with your mind. You're just burning the house to summon one of us and to get rid of us as well, right?" _he kept on supporting her using his arms.

Lucy just smiled weakly at him. He hovered one his hand over the wound, but Lucy pushed it off.

_"I know what you are… And you want purify me from my sins._" Lucy whispered while panting. _"I want this… I need this… Just let me__ die normally.__" _she coughed a lot of blood on her hand. The tall man slowly nods at her and she closed her eyes.

He stared at Lucy as she drew her final breath. The Manor has started to crumble. The pale man carried the lifeless blonde to his arms and he spread out his pure white wings behind his back and covered them both from falling ceilings.

-TIME SKIP-

In the morning, the young owner of the house along with his servants has come back from his business trip. They were really confident about the wizards and knew that they will finish the job in no time since they're the best in Fiore. But they were all shocked at the sight of the Manor, the building has collapsed and burned. When he sent out some search parties, the wizards that he hired are nowhere to be found along with the dark creatures that lurked within the Manor.


	26. Epilogue

**A/N: Thank you readers for reading my first fanfic and for not hunting me down after killing your favorite characters. To show how grateful I am. I made an Epilogue of the story. So, here it goes. :)**

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Lucy's POV

"_You should see the looks on your faces! I'm glad to be the first one to go."_

"_That's because you suck, you didn't have as much intense scenes as I did."_

"_Whatever you say guys, I had all the best scenes."_

"_Yeah! You're the best!"_

"_The best thing that I had there was to eat fish! It was so good! I wanna do it again~"_

"_You! Your scenes are not as much as the stripper but all of it sucks!"_

"_What did you say!?"_

"_And you! You didn't even have a chance to show off your pervert body! Hahahaha!"_

"_You piece of_—_"_

"_Shut up already, I can't focus with all your noise."_

"_Fro think so too!"_

"_Shut it you all! I will personally strangle you all to death if you wake her up!"_

"_We want her to wake up, you know."_

"_But she needs to rest."_

Upon hearing those familiar voices, I shot my eyes open and sit up straight. I was breathing short and heavy breaths while clutching the blanket on my lap. My sweats are dropping from my forehead and my hands are cold as ice. I looked around the room with wide eye.

"_Lucy!"_ they all said in unison.

They all gathered around my bed. Team Natsu are here, even the Sabertooth's Twin Dragon Slayers are alive. I can feel my heart swelled and tears are building up in my eyes.

"_No, no Lucy, don't cry. We're here now."_ Gray said softly while patting my head, but I just cried in front of them.

"_What the hell did you do to her, you pervert exhibitionist!?"_ Natsu yelled.

"_I'm trying to comfort her, crazy flame spewer!"_ Gray yelled back.

I shook my head, but I'm still crying. I jumped out of bed and hugged Natsu and Gray. They both jerked in my action but hugged me back.

"_I love you guys so much. I'm so glad that you're all alive."_ I sobbed.

"_Of course we're alive!"_ Natsu smirked when I released my grasp to them.

Next, I hugged Erza tightly, I cried to her so much. She rubbed my back while whispering some words of comfort.

"_Yo Blondie! We're here too."_ Sting grinned while Rogue is just staring at me. I looked at them both for a second but my eyes fell down on the Exceeds, resting on the foot my bed. I grabbed them all and squeezed them to death.

"_Let me go,weak Fairy!"_ Lector tried to push me off but, I didn't let go. Fro and Happy hugged back.

"_Hey! No hug for me?"_ Sting protested.

"_She'll never hug you, not even in your dreams."_ Natsu sneered.

"_Maybe not, but you won't get to kiss her like I did."_ Sting smirked widely.

"_That wasn't even real!"_ Natsu growled.

"_Shut up both of you! Don't confuse her!"_ Erza yelled while smacking both of their heads.

I released my arms from the Exceeds. 'What is she talking about?' I looked at her, straight in the eyes to let her see that she made me confused as well. She sighed and opened the door.

"_Come on, the kids wants to talk to us when she wakes up, remember?"_ she said in a firm voice.

"_Kids?"_ I mumbled to myself.

-TIME SKIP-

We are now waiting on a large elegant room. It's almost like the billiard room of the manor that I burned, except that there's no billiard table here. Everyone is quiet. It's making me think a lot of things. A ton of questions formed inside my head. We should all be dead. I witnessed their deaths with my own eyes. I also killed myself, I felt the pain from the wound that I inflicted, but I can't figure out why did I stab myself when I aimed for the white haired man. The warmth of the blood that I touched was so real. But I decided to shook away my thoughts from my head. I should be happy that we're all alive and well. I'm just thinking too much.

We are all roaming around the room. Except for Erza who was waiting patiently on the couch in the middle of the room, there was another couch against it and a coffee table in between. I feel a little nervous about the revelation that will happen later. Erza and the others must be enlightened already since they don't look troubled as I am now. 'Why can't they just tell me by themselves? Is it too hard to explain? I'm not as slow as Natsu here.' I looked at him at the corner of my eye. He was arguing with Sting and Gray about something. I sighed and shook my head a little. There's no need for me to speculate things. All I have to do was to wait for the 'kids' to explain everything that happened last week.

I sit beside Erza and the timing was just perfect. The door flew open and the three noble kids entered the room followed by their own servants. I shivered a little when the owner of the manor that I burned was glaring at me while sitting down on the couch against us. He was wearing the same clothes as before. In the middle of the couch, a girl sits properly like a lady but she looks a little giddy. She has a golden-blonde hair with a cowlick that has a slight curl in the front, and the rest of her hair was worn in two long drills. She wears a red elegant dress with pink and white laced ribbons. She looked at me with sparkled eyes, but without that strange look, she has bright emerald eyes. On the other end of the couch, was another blonde kid. He was sitting lazily while he crossed his leg over the other one. He looks a little too familiar to me. I knew I already saw that platinum blonde hair, icy blue eyes—

"_You're the kid that kept on laughing when we fall on a trap!"_ Natsu yelled while pointing a finger at the blonde kid.

The kid clicked his tongue and looked away while crossing his arms and leans his back on the couch. One of the butlers cleared his throat that caught our attention. It was the butler of the burned Manor. He was standing behind the couch and smiled on us.

"Dear wizards, I would like you to meet the nobles inside this Manor. As you can see, you've already met me and my young master here but we never told you our name. My master's name is Ciel Phantomhive, Earl of the Phantomhive family. I am his faithful butler, Sebastian Michaelis." He paused for bowing in front of us and proceeds. "This young lady here is Lady Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford, she's my young master's fiancée—"

"_Fiancee!?"_ we all exclaimed.

'Aren't they a little bit too young to be engaged?' A smoked poofed beside me and I saw a flash of black and orange from it. A handsome young man in black suit with orange hair emerged from the smoke and took my right hand when he kneeled in front of me while flashing a gold ring on his other hand.

"_Would you like to be my fiancée, princess?"_ Loke flashed his signature smile.

"_L-loke!?"_ I was shocked and a felt the heat spread to my face.

A mixed emotion came to me. 'What is he doing here!? Wait, we can use magic now?' The others were not really surprised. Maybe they already knew.

"_Hey Loke! How are you?"_ Gray waved at my Celestial Spirit.

"_Hey! Don't touch my angel!" "Loke! It's been a while!"_ Sting yelled and Natsu smirked at Loke.

"_You liiiiiiike Lucy."_ Happy singed.

"_Go back, Loke."_ I groaned and forced his gate to close.

Erza chuckled and talked to the butler, _"Please continue."_

He smiled and nodded, but the other butler spoke before him. I hugged my keys to chest while I listen.

"_My young master's name is Earl Alois Trancy, head of the Trancy household."_ he said while gesturing his hand to the bored noble blonde. _"I am his right hand, Claude Fautus." _He also bowed before us.

I saw Erza glared at Claude. Maybe they knew each other before and something bad happened in the past. A young girl spoke, breaking the thoughts in my mind.

"_My name is Paula. I'm Lady Elizabeth's personal maid."_ she cheerfully and did a plié.

I felt like I heard her voice before, I just don't know where and when. I didn't think of it a lot since my mind was so eager to know what happened to us back in the Manor.

"_You heard my name, but you can call me Lizzie."_ the blonde girl said. _"I was the real one who requested the mission on your guilds. Ciel and Sebastian just helped me."_ she cuddled the raven haired noble kid.

"_Tch, cut to the chase."_ the blonde boy said while looking away and Elizabeth/Lizzie rolled her eyes.

"_Fine. I asked Ciel if he can send the request on your guild regarding my little production__—__"_

"_We made the illusions and that blonde bimbo there killed you all using her imagination."_ Alois cut her off while lazily pointed his finger at me with a devious smile.

"_What!?"_ I exclaimed, but my friends are not reacting but the Exceeds stared at me.

"_Alois, you don't have to be here. You can go and do what you want."_ Ciel glared at him until the blonde stood up and lazily walked out of the room with Claude. The dark haired kid sighed and released himself from the grasped of his fiancée. _"Let me explain the further happenings."_

He leaned his elbow on the coach's arm and propped his head on his right hand. _"The mission's main objective was a fake. I made up a story to make you believe anything that you'll see in my house. It was all just an act. My fiancée here wants to make a movie, so I sent a request to a couple of your Fairytail comrades and a Sabertooth to help us create the magnificent effects of this production."_

"_Movie!?"_ I was shocked.

"_Freed and Levy?"_ Gray asked to no one.

"_Is it Rufus?"_ Sting asked Rogue who shrugged and doesn't look interested.

"_Wait up! You mean the ten million jewels are faked too!?"_ Natsu exclaimed.

"_Will you please let me finish?"_ Ciel raised a brow to the dragon slayer. Natsu huffed and got smacked in the by Erza.

"_Your mystical meals came from the solid script wizard. The ruins you that kept you all inside the estate came from the dark ecriture user. They were helped by the aid of the memory make wizard, who copied their skills and looked for some loophole on the ruins and scripts so it will be fixed before we send you in." _he said with a little egoistical attitude.

"_Everything was so cute. You have seen the movie right?"_ Elizabeth giggled.

They all must have watched the movie.

"_Please don't keep anything from me. I want to know everything."_ I said with tears in my eyes.

Ciel groaned and stood up. He put his hands on his back and walked away. Lizzie watched him worriedly. Sebastian opened the door for him.

"_Please come and have a walk with me, Lady Heartfilia."_ he said before walking out of the door way.

What was he thinking? I don't want to go with him. He might hurt me for burning his house.

"_Lucy…"_ Happy whispered.

"_She'll be fine Happy."_ Natsu put his thumb up and smiled.

"_Go on Lucy. We'll see you later."_ Erza tried to comfort me when she tapped my shoulder.

I nodded and stood up to follow the strange kid. He was walking on a long corridor in an awfully slow pace. 'Does he really intend to wait for me?' I walked beside the kid and looked at him at the corner of my eye. I just noticed that his eyes are not bloody red like before. It was as beautiful as a pair of zircon stones. He was as stubborn like before but his eyes says something like he was not as cold as before. I wonder what had happen to this kid.

"_Are you bothered by me?"_ he said, almost startling me, but he's still not looking at me.

"_N-no. I just noticed your eyes have changed."_ I smiled nervously.

He didn't say anything about that. All he did was walk silently and not even a single moment he averted his eyes from the corridor's other end. I wanted to ask him about what really happened to me. I saw all of my friend's death before me. I felt that warmth of their flesh when they die. It was so real and yet, I woke up of their noise, joking about their scenes and deaths on the movie. Was it all just an act? No. I don't believe that it was just a simple movie. There's something else in there.

"_Please come hither."_

The voice of the slim and delicate kid shook me out from my thoughts. He opened the door for me. I slowly walked inside and marveled the feminine side of the bedroom. 'Wait, what? Is this his bedroom?' A clicked of lock made me shiver a little. 'Relax, he's a kid, he can't do anything to me.' I laughed nervously on my mind. My eyes followed every move that he makes.

"_Sit here."_ he tapped the top rail of an elegant armchair.

I was a little unsure about it but I sat on it. It was rather comfortable, because of the soft cushion attached to it. There was another chair against me and in between, there's a walnut coffee table with a white laced table cloth on top.

"_When will your mind be unoccupied by useless things?"_ he was staring at me. 'When did he sit down there?'

"What?" I smiled nervously. I seriously don't know what to say, he's creeping me out.

He hissed and lazily looked out the window while leaning his face on his left hand. It was a little dull outside. I didn't feel the cold of the weather from here. I remembered the chilling daggers of the snow when I was still in the Manor. I closed my eyes and remembered my last moments inside the cursed house.

"_You know_—_"_ my eyes snapped open when he spoke. _"You're doing it again."_

"_Doing what?"_

"_Thinking of useless things."_ He looked at me at the corner of his right eye.

"_My memories are not useless!"_ I yelled at him as I stood up from my seat.

He closed his eyes and smirked. I crossed my arms over my chest as I slumped on the white armchair. Instead of being pissed, I roamed my eyes around the room. I wonder if this was really his room. Or did he just like this colors? The room was covered by flock velvet wallpaper. The bed has a fascinating old rose colored blanket and—.

"_See? You're doing it again." _

I snapped. A vein grew on my head when I heard his voice.

"_What do you want!?"_ I clawed the cushion on the arms of the chair as I speak.

He leaned his back and interlaced his fingers over his stomach.

"_Aren't you the one with many questions and wants to talk to me about it? By the way, I have not forgotten that you burned my family's house intentionally."_ he said while straightening his legs on the floor and hovers his right foot to the left ones.

What was he thinking anyway? Is he going to make me pay up for the manor that I burned? Sweats are starting to form on my head and my hands.

"_You better start asking now, my patience is not as long as your endless thoughts. You will lose your chance to ask me after I leave this room."_ he said in monotone.

I furrowed my brows to him. I don't know what to ask him first. There are too many and I can't choose. Why does he want to talk to me alone anyway? I'm starting to get nervous about this. I don't know why Erza trusted me with this boy in the first place. She just let me come with him. He stood up and walked towards the window.

"_Please stop thinking a lot. You can always talk to me."_ He said softly and looked on the floor.

"_First you're being stubborn of my quietness and now you're acting like we are friends."_ I chuckled._ "You're a complicated kid."_ I smiled brightly at him.

"_I am."_ he said briefly.

"_Okay, I'll try to ask something. I just hope that you'll answer my questions honestly."_ I sat up straight and fixed my eyes on his back. He was still facing the window with his hands on his back when I saw him nodded slightly.

"_Who kidnap the Exceeds?" _I said in a low tone.

"_Ah… Lizzie cried for the whole day when she saw the cat in frog suit died. So, he asked a couple of Grim Reapers to snatch away the cats so they won't suffer as well."_

"_What happened inside the Manor when I thought of a lot of things? I knew it killed my friends back then."_ I asked him in a serious voice.

He sat to his chair again and asked me. _"Do you remember the ruin's scripture? The one with rules in it?"_

"_Yes. I remember it well. The first rule was a wizard who entered the estate will be staying there for at least a week. The second one is our physical strength decreases like we are all a normal person. Third one is we are restrained from using magic within the premises of the Estate. Then there are some dots below it. I haven't figure it out since my mind was too occupied__—__"_

"_By the deaths of your friends."_

"_Y-yeah."_ I looked down to my lap and played with the hem of my separated blue sleeve. I kept blinking to drive away the tears from my eyes. I remembered all the grief that I felt when they died.

"_Too bad you have not figured it out. You would have taken your mission lightly if you did."_ he chuckled.

"_What does it mean anyway?"_ I said without looking at him.

"_The dots are the hidden rules. I made the green haired guy to push his limits to make those rules disappear but he only managed to make it all into dots. The fourth rule was your thoughts will come to life and you fit the bill on that one."_ he sniggered a little.

"For instance, the blonde Dragon Slayer, really thought that he kissed you, that you're really with him, but he's not. It was all in his head."

I flushed and I awkwardly raised an eyebrow to him. He just smiled a little and continued to explain more.

"_We checked you profile before. If I'm not mistaken, we saw your hobbies are reading and writing. Lizzie was excited to send you in. Your creative mind created the extraordinary accidents and illusions inside the Manor."_ I looked at him with confusion and he sighed. _"Okay, another example was your friend Gray died from the icicles. His mind created the blizzard snow and the snow ghost. You thought of dropping the icicles to your friend then it just falls."_

"_No! I'm worried about him when I saw the icicles!"_ I defended myself.

"_Exactly. Inside your head you have already imagine the icicles dropped to his body. Ergo, you dropped the icicles to your friend, unintentionally, if don't want to be feel guilty about it. It's the same with the others, but the red head mage and the loud mouth blonde were a bit tricky. You've managed to kill them while you are unconscious or sleeping."_ he smirked deviously.

"_No…"_ my tears dropped from my eyes.

"_In which, leads us to the last rule."_ he leaned forward and handed out a handkerchief to me. I listened to him while I wiped away my tears.

"_All wizards are protected by the ruins, making everyone temporarily immortal while inside the Phantomhive Estate. I heard about the magical Great Tree of Tenrou Jima and thought of doing the same thing in my land."_

I gasped in shock. _"Is Freed that powerful to imitate the Mavis Vermillion's magic?"_ I mumbled and tried to keep it to myself.

"_No, but my butler is powerful enough."_ he smirked as he stood up.

"_Your butler?"_ I'm filled with confusion again.

In a blink on an eye, he was already in front of me. I almost jumped out of the chair.

"_Don't scare me like that!"_ I yelled at him.

He didn't show any emotion while staring at me. Those zircon orbs look beautiful and mesmerizing but there's something wrong with it. He touched some of my hair with his right hand while he spoke.

"_Do you believe in demons?"_ he said nonchalantly as I watched his lips when he said those words.

"_I-I don't know. I read about them, but didn't think of them that they really exist."_ I said to him while thinking about it again.

He pouted as he traced my jawline with his finger. He tilted my head up. 'What was he doing?' I felt a little flustered about our proximity. A sweat slid down my temple. His face held no emotions, his zircon eyes are empty as he speak.

"_Look closely."_ Ciel whispered and I swallowed the lump on my throat.

He raised slowly his index finger to his eyes and touches his own pupil. He pinched it and removed a spherical thin plastic away from his eyes. He did the same with his left eye and revealed me his bloody ruby eyes. It was the same glowing eyes when we first met him. Those dejected garnet eyes, I can feel the cold and emptiness behind it despite of its bright color. Slowly his nails turned into black while putting down his hand. I tried to remain calm before him.

"_What happened to your eyes and nails?"_ I worriedly asked him.

He weakly smiled and returned to his chair. He rested his propped left hand on the armchair. He did not want to meet my eyes.

"_I became a demon recently. It's a long story so don't ask how it happened." _

I nodded once. I actually forgot everything that I want to ask him. I can't form a word from my mouth. I don't want him to feel different for revealing his true identity to me, but that's what I'm actually doing now. All this talking to myself thing was making him uneasy. I shook all my thoughts away.

"_Does anyone else know?"_ I said, almost whispering every word from my mouth.

"_The other demons knew."_

"_There are other demons here!?"_

"_Of course, the earth is a living hell."_

"_No, really?"_

"_There are demons here, you already met some of them during the 'shooting'."_ I felt my heartbeat pumped loud.

"_W-who?"_ I arched one of my eyebrows to him, concealing my nervousness from his gaze.

"_My butler is a demon and he lent his power to Freed to reproduce the same magic in Tenrou Island. So, that makes him the Great Tenrou Tree of my estate." he chortled. "But it's not permanent, Lady Vermillion was too powerful to keep the whole island's magic since her death. My butler was weakened after your stay in my Manor."_ he waited for me to react but I didn't say anything so he keep on clearing up.

"_Alois' butler was also a demon. The woman who killed the Fire Dragon Slayer is the first female demon I have ever met. Her name is Hannah Anafeloz."_ he lazily groaned on her name.

I am now sweating cold. I never thought that demons are real and I already met four of them in just a week. Ciel is watching my reactions. I don't want him to see me frightened. I remembered the other strange creatures whom we have met inside the Manor.

"_Who's the guy in red? I didn't saw him, Erza just told me everything."_

"_He replaced the illusion of your friend and transformed as you during the death of the White Dragon Slayer, he was Grell Sutcliffe. He's a grim reaper. The snow ghost and the ugly fat creature in the dungeon illusions of your minds, the decoys or corpses of your friends are the triplets. You'll meet them later, they're also demons too."_ he hissed.

"_Okay. Uhh, who's the guy in white before I stabbed myself? Is he a demon too?"_ I laughed nervously.

"_He's Ash Landers, a fallen angel. If I didn't know him any better, I would think he's fond of you. He ruined the ending of the movie. Lizzie was furious about it."_ he sounds amused.

"_Ruined?"_ I eyebrows met.

"_He was supposed to kill you. Burning you alive like what he was doing to every other human whom he thinks that needed to be cleanse. He claimed that you wished to kill yourself so he lets you stabbed yourself. That idiot."_ he scoffed.

A sweat dropped on my back awkwardly. They do really want us to be dead in the end.

"_I'm getting tired of explaining everything to you. What else do you want to know?"_ he leaned his back on the chair.

"_I don't want this to be my last question. I want to know everything, like literally."_ I let a breath out. _"How did you make a critically wounded wizard healed in a week? I mean, I know that the place was protected from death. But how did you managed to revive Sting after being decapitated?" _I agitatedly asked him.

"I thought you'd never ask that one." he beamed at me. _"Sebastian."_

"_What?"_ I whispered.

In an instant, his butler was beside him. My mouth was left opened in shock. He bowed to the stubborn kid.

"_Call Blue and Pinky, don't let them bring their annoying cat."_ he ordered his servant.

"_Of course."_ he bowed again and left the room in instant.

'Blue and pinky?' I brows met in perplexity but I was relieved when the tall guy left. Being around with two demons is new to me. I don't know what they can do to me and I surely don't even know what they can do.

"_So this is what really happened."_ he said in a serious and no intonation voice.

-FLASH BACK-

An icicle was plunged at the abdomen part of the Ice-Make mage. An expression of excruciating pain was shown from his face. During this incident, there are three figures standing on the roof. They are watching over Gray. One of them snapped his fingers and everything went slow. Slower than the crawling snail on a rough land, it seems like everything almost stopped.

The three figures jumped down from the roof and walked towards the wounded Ice wizard. They were all looked the same. They have red eyes and short plum hair. Their only difference was the fringes of their hair, it was arranged inconsistently. The one who carried Gray out from the icicles was Thompson, his fringe falls to point in the center. Canterbury's fringe was swept to left, he pulled the ice out from Gray and threw it to Timber. He changed his appearance into Gray and stabbed himself exactly where the real Ice wizard was wounded, he copied the same reaction that Gray was making before. His fringe was set to the right. They were all wearing white long sleeved shirts with a brown vest over it and black trousers with grey ribbons around their necks.

Before Gray could protest to the triplets he went into shock and passed out. When two of the triplets and Gray was vanished in a flash, everything went back to normal. Timber was stabbed brutally by the ices.

*TIME SKIP*

After the Shadow Dragon Slayer fall from the tree, the worried green Exceed almost stopped from running. Rogue and Frosch were snatched away by Canterbury. Thompson, on the other hand, was left behind and put a cloned dead Frosch under the tree. He morphed himself into Rogue's appearance and smashed his head to the huge boulder where Rogue fell and then the time returns to its normal pace.

*TIME SKIP*

The grim reaper, Grell Sutcliffe, returned to his original form in front of the wizards. The time almost stopped again and the triplets came out of nowhere. They were whispering about something when they are removing Sting from the shattered glasses. Grell noticed it and he found it annoying.

"_What is it?"_ the red haired grim reaper hissed in anger.

The triplets looked at each other and nodded.

"_The gay grim reaper's make up is black."_ Thompson said while carrying the White Dragon Slayer over his shoulder.

"_And there's an odd smoke coming out of him. It smells nasty."_ Timber said while covering his nose.

"_Maybe he didn't see himself on the mirror before going out here."_ Canterbury changed into Sting and put the back of his neck on the shattered glasses of the door.

"_Sebby said that this will look cool on screen. So, I followed his advice."_ Grell was squealing like a fangirl while looking his self on the hand-mirror. _"Now, carry on. I've got a scene to finished." _he shooed the two emotionless servants.

*TIME SKIP*

Erza faints on the floor. Claude, Alois' butler, returned to his human form and carried the unconscious Requip wizard on his arms. The triplets appeared before him.

"_Here, try not to move her so much."_ he let out a long sigh while handing the red hair wizard to one of the triplets. _"Now hurry up, she needs medical attention immediately."_

The triplets silently nodded once and disappeared without a trace.

*TIME SKIP*

Hannah, the female demon, called his subordinates. The background was already in a very slow pace. The triplets appeared before her.

"_Hurry up, let's not make the wizard suffer a lot."_ Hannah didn't bat an eye on the three demons.

The triplets started to whisper to each other and slightly pushing each other in front of Natsu. Hannah was not pleased to see the triplets argue in front of her.

"_No whispering in front of me."_ Hannah rebuked the demon triplets with no emotions.

"_It was Timber's turn to die."_ Canterbury pushed Timber.

"_No, it was Thompson's turn."_ Timber tugged Thompson's arm.

"_Actually, it was Canterbury turn to suffer."_ Thompson pushed the back of Canterbury.

"_I just died yesterday."_ Canterbury exclaimed without emotion.

"_And I died the day before that."_ Thompson crossed his arms and stared at Timber.

"_But I don't want to put a necrosis disease on my body. It's too painful."_ Timber said with no emotion.

Canterbury and Thompson grabbed Natsu's body quietly. They both vanished after the female demon glanced on them.

"_Come now, we don't have all day."_ Hannah crossed her arms over her chest and impassively stared at Timber.

Timber muttered and cursed under his breath while changing his appearance into Natsu. He moved to the Fire Dragon Slayer's previous spot.

"_It'll end quickly. I promise."_ Hannah smiled weakly at him.

On normal time pace, Timber started to melt and suffer from the flesh eating disease. Hannah made the disease act ten times faster than usual.

*TIME SKIP*

"_I can handle this alone. I'll try not to damage her a lot."_ Ash, the fallen angel, said in front of the demon triplets.

Canterbury whispered to his brothers and they all nodded.

"_If she dies, it's all on you."_ Canterbury said to the white angel and they all disappeared into a thin air.

"_Don't under estimate my skills demon."_ he growled lowly and showed himself to Lucy.

-FLASH BACK END-

Lucy's POV

"_The triplets don't actually know how to act, but they can copy an emotion from anyone, just quite enough for a few seconds show."_ he said with a little chuckle.

Unconsciously, I touched my abdomen. I felt no wounds or scars. If I was not replaced by a demon, then I should be wounded now. I looked down to see my flat stomach was clean, not a single scratch could be seen.

"_He healed you."_ Ciel startled me, I didn't even get to understand what he said.

"_What?"_ I laughed nervously while rubbing the back of my head.

"_The angel saved you from your death."_ the noble kid hissed.

"_Ohh… I guess I should thank him for that."_ I smiled brightly.

The door was brutally opened. We are interrupted by the two young ladies who ran towards me.

"_LUCY!"_ they both said in unison while grabbing me for a hug.

"_Wendy? Chelia?"_ I got choke from Chelia's…hug.

They both released me from 'choking?' when Ciel cleared his throat just to get our attention. They both look fine, but as far as I can remember, I didn't see them inside the Phantomhive Estate. Before we left Fairytail, Mirajane said that Wendy and Carla were on a mission too. Could this be the reason why she was here? And why was Chelia here too?

"_Pinky and Blue here were the one who healed your friends from their injuries during their death scenes." _he sounds like he's so proud of himself.

I arched an eyebrow to him. 'Is it one of a demon's abilities to read minds?'

"_No."_ Ciel said with a sly smirk on his mouth. _"I still refuse to call you by your names." _

I really thought that he was talking to me. I guess they can't read minds. I chuckled a little. Chelia huffed and sit on the arms of the chair I was sitting on with arms crossed.

"_Lucy, you're so great. When we watched the raw scenes of the movie, we really thought you have a great mind."_ the Wind Dragon Slayer said softly and Chelia nodded merrily.

It should be a compliment but it crashed my heart into a million pieces. I hid my eyes under my bangs, my eyes are filled with tears now.

"_You're all wrong."_ I said weakly and almost in a whispering tone.

"_Lucy?"_ Wendy gently touched my shoulder.

"_I killed them all in my mind. I'm not a good friend. I selfishly thought of their doom before their safety."_ I whimpered while clutching both of my hands.

An awkward silent confined the room for a moment. The disguised demon kid cleared his throat and stood up. Chelia and Wendy looked at him, I guess. I remained my eyes on the ground.

"_Blue. Pinky. You are dismissed."_ he said in a stern voice.

Chelia let out a grunt and Wendy hugged me before walking out of the room. It's my turn to look on the kid that I barely knew. I slowly lifted my damp eyes towards his.

"_You know, room is a replica of my mother's bedroom. I don't know if this was going to make you feel better but…"_ he went to the nightstand beside the bed and shuffle something in the drawer.

He holds something behind him as he walked towards me. He seemed hesitating about giving that 'thing' behind him.

"_What is it?"_ I asked him and gave him a vague smile.

The kid stubbornly shoved an upside down frame to me and looked away. I gently took it from him and flipped it. I was very much surprise to see myself on the picture. I think I'm about twelve or thirteen years old on this picture. I was wearing my long hair in high ponytail. I'm in a white lacy knee length dress and I was holding a year old baby on my arms. He looks extremely familiar, I looked closer on the picture, as if I can magically remember it by just doing this.

"_I'm the baby."_ Ciel rolled his eyes.

"_W-what!?"_ confusion hit my head.

The thought was really making me dizzy. How could that be possible? I have never seen this kid my entire life. But if you compare the cute little baby on the picture and the Ciel standing in front of me now, they both look too similar.

"_You don't believe me?"_ his eyebrows met, but he kept his cool on his voice.

"_No, I swear I haven't seen you before. I don't even remember when this picture was taken."_ I dropped the picture frame on my lap.

I saw trampled emotions on his eyes and I barely felt his hand when he took the picture from me. He went back to his seat and put the picture on the table, it was facing down.

"_Nevermind the picture."_ he paused and think of what to say. _"Anyway, your thoughts are harmless anywhere outside the Manor. But as you can remember, you already burn it and Freed's runes have worn-out. You won't have to be guilty anymore."_ his face was impassive.

Guilt was still in me, but my mind can't get off our past relationship. The image on the picture makes no sense to me. I can't remember anything about it. Am I that forgetful already?

"_Could you tell me something about the picture?"_ I wiped away the damp eyes.

No respond. He looked away from me.

"_Please?"_ I said softly with a childish tone.

"_Why?"_ Ciel huffed and leaned on the chair.

"_Because I want to know."_ I frowned at him and he let out another breathe.

"_Well…"_ he looked at me lazily _"Phantomhives and Heartfilias are business partners before. I doubt you knew that because you never want to take over Heartfilia's business. I was the one who arranged all the papers of the Heartfilia properties when Uncle Jude fell ill. I made sure that all of your family properties are named after you when you father…passed away."_

I frowned on the thought of my father but he did not exactly answer my question. I tried to push again, hoping that his stubbornness won't kick in.

"_How about the picture?"_ I smiled when I asked him.

"_Like I said before, our families are business partners. When my mother sent a letter to your household, you and your father was invited on a tea party, just a simple celebration for my birth. But your father rejected the invitation and sent you all by yourself. You don't remember?"_

"_Hey! How can you all remember that when you're still a baby!?"_

"_It all says here at the back of the picture."_ he removed the picture from the frame and gave it to me.

It was true. Her mother stated here the she was devastated when the head of the Heartfilia rejected the invitation but was somehow glad that I came. She felt like Layla, my mother was there with her. I smiled a little with that thought.

"_I did everything with all of my power to look for you in seven years, but we just have no luck after all. On his death bed, I promised him that I'll never let anything bad happen to you. I'm considering you now as an older sister to me now. We're already lost our parents. I do not intend to lose another family member anymore. I'm glad that you're back now. You can count on me when you need help from anything. For now, I will look over your family's business until you want it to take care of it yourself."_ he stared at me blankly.

"_You know, for a minute there, I really thought that I was talking to an adult."_ I can't contain the laugh through myself.

"_I'm old enough for some things."_ A vein popped on his head clutching his hand awkwardly. He was glaring to me now.

"_Ciel."_ I said softly

"_Yes?"_ his mood was changed back emotionless one.

"_Thank you for everything."_ I put on my best smile for him.

"_You're always welcome in every way, Onee-san."_ he smiled genuinely back at me.

I thought of the fountain inside the Phantomhive Manor. My wished did come true after all. We're all fine and we finished the job. Ciel told me that I managed to live on 7th day. That means that we're eligible to take the reward with us. Ciel was generous on Sabertooth too, he let them receive their reward since they have taken a part of the movie and the mission as well.

We all bid our farewells and we returned to our guild on the next day. I hope that Ciel and I crossed path again.

No one's POV

On the next month, the movie was launched. Fairytail Team Natsu and Sabertooth Twin Dragon Slayers were the cover of the monthly issue of Sorcerer Magazine. They were trending for a couple of weeks. Fans are everywhere when they go out in public. They were all wishing for a break from the commotion that the Phantomhive Company had made. In the end, they had grown tired of it and hid from people for a few days.


End file.
